7. Dark Side Of Freemasonry

FREEMASONRY

THE DOCTRINES
OF DARKNESS

J. EDWARD DECKER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: FREEMASONRY AND THE CHURCH:

ED DECKER PAGE 6

CHAPTER 2: PREACHER WITHOUT A PULPIT:

PIERCE DODSON PAGE 39

CHAPTER 3: THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CONNECTION:

TOM MCKENNEY PAGE 56

CHAPTER 4: FREEMASONRY AND THE NEW AGE WORLD

RELIGION: DICK SMITH PAGE 69

CHAPTER 5: MIXING OIL WITH WATER

REV. HARMON TAYLOR PAGE 127

CHAPTER 6: WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR

EVANGELIST DELORIS JOHNSON PAGE 156

CHAPTER 7: BEWARE THE EVIL WORKERS

REV. DANIEL D. CARLEN PAGE 185

CHAPTER 8: FREEMASONRY AROUND THE WORLD

MICK OXLEY PAGE 206

CHAPTER 9: THE SECRET DOCTRINE

LARRY KUNK PAGE 220

CHAPTER 1 0:

THE WITCHCRAFT CONNECTION

CHAPTER 11:

CHAPTER 12:

CHAPTER 13:

CHAPTER 14:

WILLIAM J. SCHNOEBELEN PAGE 268

MASONIC ROOTS:

KEITH HARRIS PAGE 287

FREEMASONRY AND THE OCCULT REVIVAL
DAVID CARRICO PAGE 305

THE WAYS THINGS OUGHT TO BE
BOB JONES PAGE 345

THE BAPTIST "SITUATION"

ED DECKER PAGE 361

INTRODUCTION

In June of 1993, 1 had the pleasure of speaking at a national conference for the
leaders of ministries to Masons. It was held in Knoxville, TN. and was attended
by people who were involved in ministering to those in and around the many
Masonic fraternities. Also there were many of those who write and speak on the
subject, as well as some of the leading researchers on the subject. It was a great
place to be if you were interested in the subject and probably the worst place to
be if you were the subject of the interest.

Seldom before in my career as an apologist for the Christian faith had I come
across a more zealous crowd of evangelical believers. I was rather fortunate t be
one of the very first speakers, which meant that I could sit back after I finished,
relax and listen to the rest of the presentations, even sleep through a few if I felt
like it. It was a rare "out of gear' time for me.

My relaxation was short lived, however. The very next speaker brought me to
rapt attention and I spent the rest of the trip on the edge of my chair soaking in
some of the best instruction on the subject of Freemasonry that I had ever
witnessed.

As excited as I was to be receiving such great information, I was morose over the
fact that there should have been thousands in attendance instead of hundreds. It
was as though something dramatic needed to be done to capture the moment, to
save the data in order to bring it to the church at large, the church that has let this
secret cancer into its sanctuaries and eat away at its underside.

I was determined not to let this information be buried away in obscurity the day
after the conference closed and went to each of a number of those who presented
papers there and asked their permission to publish their material in a book.
Obviously, they agreed and you are reading the introduction to that compilation.

This is a great book. It contains the bulk of the Christian stand on just about
every aspect of Freemasonry and the lodges. I have tried to get it all in order,
tying it together in a readable and usable fashion.

There will be times when you will read the same charges, the same references
and the same Scriptures, from chapter to chapter. I have left them in there to give
you the perspective of each author on their subject of interest. We have dissected
the dangerous doctrines of Masonry from sides and there is nothing left but the
ashes of a false system of darkness.

I pray, on behalf of each man and woman who has contributed to this work, that
it be a blessing to those who study it with the purpose of using its information
for the saving of lost souls and for the edifying of the body of Christ toward that
goal of becoming the unblemished bride of Christ.

Every person who has contributed to this work has, as First priority the ministry
of grace to the lost. They are not the enemies of those in Masonry, but their
friends. Each is willing to correspond and minister on an individual basis.

I have given the addresses of each contributor, so that you may contact them,
should you want to dialogue further. Meanwhile, each can be reached through
the offices of Huntington House Publishers.

CHAPTER ONE

FREEMASONRY AND THE CHURCH:

A CHRISTIAN WORKER’S PERSPECTIVE

Ed Decker
Saints Alive in Jesus
P.O. Box 1347
Issaquah, WA 98027

I have never been a Mason, although I grew up in a Masonic family and was a
member of its youth organization, the DeMolay. Every male member of my
family since 1805 has been active in the Masonic lodge. My Dad was a Mason
until he repented of it 2 years before he passed away in 1992. My mother was an
Eastern Star and my grandfather was a 33rd degree Mason. All my uncles, aunts,
and grandparents and the people on every side of my family have been involved
in Masonry, not only here in the United States but before we came to the United
States in Europe.

Those of you who know my background know that I spent twenty years of my
life in Mormonism. I became a Christian in 1975 and since that time I have been
ministering the gospel of grace to the Mormon people. What does this all have to
do with subject of the lodge and Freemasonry? Prior to my time as a Mormon I
was a member of the Episcopal Church and almost everybody in our local parish
were masons. It was a Masonic organization in a lot of ways. Although I didn't
think much of it at the time.

There came a point in my life when I felt the urge to go out and seek some
undefined "religious truth." It was unique that the church I ran into immediately
was the Mormon Church. I often wondered why that was the case. Why didn't I
run into a Baptist, or another Episcopalian who wasn't bored to death in the high
church, with all its rituals? Why did I suddenly find the Mormons?

We are dealing in areas of spiritual power in some of these things and I believe
that the same spirit that was in that local Episcopal Church [because of the
immense power that the Masons had in it] was the same controlling spirit that is
in Mormonism. I believe this is true because Mormonism is permeated
throughout with the Masonic doctrines.

Joseph Smith was a Mason. His brother Hiram was a Mason. The first five
presidents of the Mormon Church were Masons. The Mormon Masonic Lodge in
Nauvoo, Illinois, was one of the largest Masonic lodges in the United States at
the time. They had over fourteen hundred members in one lodge. So much of
what I did in Mormonism had very close ties into Masonry.

I remember being in a Baptist church a few years after I became a Christian. I was
sharing about some of the things I had done in Mormonism. I talked about my
participation in the Mormon temple ritual. I shared some things about the temple
like the oaths that we took, the symbolism, some of the signs and tokens and the
apron that Lucifer, who is the instructor in part of the Mormon temple ritual,
wore.

I told them that the apron he wore had Masonic symbols on it and several of
these same symbols were on the veil at the end of the Mormon temple ritual. We

Mormons reached our arms through these holes in the veil and put your our
around God or the man playing the part of God.

At the veil, we recited all these "special" things that we learned in the temple.
Those holes were really the Masonic square, rule and compass slit in the veil. We
also wore those same marks on our sacred undergarments that we Mormons
must wear as Temple Mormons.

It's interesting to note that since we began revealing these secrets to the world, the LDS
god has given new instructions or revelation word to his prophets in Salt Lake City and
many of these Masonic blood oaths have been removed from the ritual.

At the end of that meeting in the Baptist church, I walked to the back of the
church to say good-bye to people. An elder, a member of the board from that
church, came up and led me off to a corner of the back area of the church where,
with great stress in his voice, said, "You better stop doing this"

I responded, " Stop doing what?"

He said, " You better stop talking about those things."

"Talking about what things? "

"You better stop talking about those rituals, because you are sharing
secrets that only Masons are suppose to know. "

I said, "I beg your pardon, I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You stop it! When you're
talking about the Mormon temple ritual you're revealing the Masonic
ritual secrets. You know that the thumb to the throat oath and all the things
that are done in the Mormon temple are things that are Masonic secrets.
Those hand shakes, the signs, the tokens, the handclasps, the penalties and
all these things are Masonic and you're revealing the Masonic stuff."

"I'm not revealing Masonic stuff. I'm revealing what I did, what I
personally did in the Mormon temple," I replied with some force.

"You stop it or you're going to get hurt. You don't know what you are
doing. You don't know what troubles you're heading for if you don't stop
this!"

I said, "I'm not stopping it, I think its abominable and Luciferian, and I'm
going to talk about it because I think people need to know what is going
on in the Mormon temple."

Finally he just said, "Well if you're saying that the Mormons do that and
its Satanic, what are you saying about Masonry?"

Not knowing much except what little I could get out of the Bible, I just said.

"If Masonry is involved with the same rituals and the same blood oaths its
from the same pit of Hell."

The elder turned away in anger and stomped off. I stood there, watching after
him and then I saw that the pastor had standing over to the side and had
watched the en tire exchange. He looked at me and slowly shook his head. H e
said.

"You're being a very foolish young man. You don't know what your
doing, you don't know what troubles you are headed for, if you don't stop
this."

He turned quickly and walked out of the church. I stood there thinking, "Hey, I'm
in a Christian church and the Christians are getting mad at me and threatening me.

What am I doing wrong? I'm talking about evil that I participated in and suddenly I'm
having problems. " I thought, "This is it, I'm going to find out about Masonry. I have to
know what's going on here."

About a month after that, our friend 's Dad passed away and we were sitting in
their church attending his funeral in a very nice evangelical situation. The family
was sitting there in the front row, with friends gathered around them. We finally
reached the end of the funeral, and as the pastor was thanking us for attending,
suddenly the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

I turned and looked toward the back of the church and saw this group of men
marching down the isle in these black somber outfits and carrying scrolls, and all
kinds of things, wearing white gloves, boxer-type hats, aprons with all kinds of
stuff on them. They marched up to the front and gathered around the coffin.

They began chanting and breaking leaves over the coffin and so forth. I broke out
into spiritual hysteria. I began praying quietly to myself, I was almost on my
knees and my wife is praying just as hard beside me. We were trying to bind this
evil that had just come into this place. We didn't know what it was that was
happening; we just knew it was bad. Of course, it was a Masonic funeral ritual.

I talked to my Dad about it, since he was still a Mason at the time. I said
something about the Masonic funeral being horrible. He said, " What do you mean
horrible? I'm going to be buried in a Masonic funeral, myself . "

I said, "Not if I have anything to say about it."

He said, "I'm going to be cremated in my white apron, my lambskin apron
and I want the Masons to do it."

I said, "I can't do that. Dad. It is dark, pagan thing and it is not the way a
Christian needs to leave this world."

Dad had his will rewritten and had papers drawn up so that my non-Christian
sister would be the executrix of his estate. He did that so I could not get near his
body after he died, so he could be cremated in his lambskin apron.

Jumping ahead in my story a bit, I need to share with you that Dad repented of
Freemasonry two years before his homegoing. He had been a Mason for over 60 years, but
Jesus set him free. We had a believer's Memorial Service for my Dad, a time of joy and
peaceful release. Isn't God faithful!

So I began an intense study. I'm extremely well versed in it now. I have probably
close to a thousand books on Masonry in my library. Most of them are esoteric
books that are written by Masons. Some of them actually say "ESOTERIC BOOK, DO
NOT LET NON-MASONS READ."

I have been able, through the grace of God, to get into some places that I don't
belong. I have acquired all the ritual books for all the rituals of Masonry in their
associated groups from the Eastern Star to Job's Daughters to Rainbow Girls to
all the various groups. I have every ritual of every step of Freemasonry in the
York Rite and the Scottish Rite, Blue Lodge, Shriner, and Red Man and Jesters
and all the esoteric groups in Masonry. I have just about every document that
they ever dared to put in writing plus I have the testimony of thousands of
Masons who have been set free from that darkness. So I can talk a little bit about
Masonry.

Masonry is one of the most volatile subjects in the Christian church today. Where
did Masonry come from? The Mason will tell you that it started back in
Solomon's temple and that ritually, it carried on and continued through the
building of the great cathedrals of Europe, Their history is the history of the
Stone Masons. They were called the operative Masons

Because they didn't have plastic badges in those days; they learned secret hand
shakes and signs so that a Master Mason could go from cathedral to cathedral,
from country to country and go to the boss man there and give him a secret hand
shake or secret sign. By that sign, the Construction boss would know that he was
a Master Mason, or an apprentice Mason or journeyman Mason. It was pretty
simple, but it worked for them.

The special sign or handshake would identify the worker in different levels of
capability. Because of the importance of keeping the craft free from impostors,
there were some serious penalties for lying or using a code you hadn't earned.

That's where Freemasonry really came from. In the late seventeenth century or
early eighteenth century they began to gather in the towns and cities in
fellowship off the jobs. They allowed non-craftsmen friends, called non-operative
Masons to join with them socially. That is when Freemasonry as we see it today,
or Speculative Masonry began.

Now that's their story. And for the most part, that's pretty much what most of
what I'll call "social Masonry" still is today. However that's not what "Spiritual or
mystical Masonry" is really all about.

Spiritual /Mystical Masonry actually goes back, not to the temple of Solomon but
to the Crusades when Eastern Mysticism was brought into the church through
the Knights Templar. The crusaders brought back esoteric ritual into Central
Europe, France, Italy. They brought back the Kabalah and eastern mysticism.
They brought in the Egyptian and the Gnostic mysteries that were present, even
in the days of Christ.

They brought these up into the 16th and 17th century terminology and wove
them into the culture of Europe in those days. Even first century Christianity had
the Essenes; who brought a Gnostic superiority into the fringe of the church.
They claimed secret knowledge that only the adept was allowed to receive. They
were also known as the Apron wearers.

It's interesting that they wore aprons that were their protection, their covering
before God. The Essenes wore these same aprons that the masons wear today.
And if you go back to the Babylonian mysteries and the deification of Nimrod,
the priests of Nimrod also wore those same aprons in his temple. And they were
also known as the apron wearers. They also wore special undergarments with
special markings on the breasts, just like the Mormons do today.

There's nothing new under the sun. And old Satan is still whining the old same
record over and over again with different names, the same things you see today
in the new age; it's the same things the Essenes and the early Masons embraced
such as higher knowledge, becoming one with universe, becoming one with the
essence of the Christ spirit. All these things tie into modern Masonry.

The power base of early Masonry was tied to the tremendous wealth and power
of the Knights Templar, until the Roman catholic church, attempting to break to
power grip of the craft, outlawed them and began to confiscate its land and
treasure houses, killing its leaders when and where they could. The Masons,
particularly though a group called the Illuminati, had great power on the
political scene.

We see a Masonic hand in the French Revolution and the American Revolution.
There is a thread, a theme here that demonstrates the Masons have surely had a
conspiratorial part of modern, international history.

How could that happen on such a scale over so many years?

It could happen right here on a small scale. Suppose everybody in this group
swore solemn oaths to join together as a secret band. Suppose we closed the
door, we locked the room and we brought each of you up and had you kneel
down, kiss a Bible, and swear a blood oath to have your throat slit from ear to ear
if you broke your oath. And suppose you swore an oath that you would do
everything in your power for the rest of your life for the people who are in this
select group, right here in this room. That's no one else, but just those of us who
are in this select group. We would do beneficial things for each other. If someone
had an opening in their company and you needed a job that they would move
you to that job over someone else. Or that if there were a contract being led by
my company I would see that you got the contract. And we would begin to take
advantage of the political and the economic system to better each of us. We
would have a good thing going. Right? Almost like a secret fraternity.

That’s what the Skull and Bones thing is that President Bush belongs to out of
Harvard. That’s exactly what they did. They swore these blood oaths that they
would help each other in the political and the economic society, to lift each other
up, to support them in everything that they did. They swore blood oaths to do
this. It has been pretty effective for most of them. And if you look at the simple
side of Masonry, basically that’s what began to take place.

In 1717, in England, the first Grand lodge met. So we know that there were many
lodges for a Grand lodge to meet and they organized under the Grand lodge of
England. In the United States, many of the people who were involved in the
implementation of the Revolutionary War and the first Congress were Masons.
The Declaration of Independence was written on a Masonic white lambskin

apron. If you go over to Washington D.C. today and go look at this great
document, its written on a lambskin apron.

That's interesting, because my Dad wanted to be buried in it because it was his
covering before God, until Jesus became his covering. Only a pagan needs to
find some cover before God.

If you are a pagan there is no problem being a Mason, because it's a pagan
society. If you are a Christian, you have a problem. Let me explain the problem.
It’s almost a simple matter of submission to the spirit of darkness. When a man
goes into the Masonic order, before he can even enter he has to be voted on by
the lodge. They use a secret voting system using white balls and black balls and
if any body puts just one black ball in the box [that’s where the expression being
black balled comes from], you cannot ever be a Mason. If any man decides he
doesn't like the color of your hair, if you have offended him in business, if there
is some offense in your relationship he can then just put a black ball in, no
questions asked, and you are not a member of the lodge.

When a man goes into the first or Entered Apprentice level, he is given slippers,
he takes most of his regular clothes off, he has one pant leg off, he has his chest
bare, his wedding ring removed, he has a hood or blindfold put over him, he has
had a rope tied around his neck (called a cable-tow) and he's led around that way
through most of the ritual. He is a man in darkness seeking the light of the lodge.

I wonder how many of these men would do this if their wives or children were
watching. If there's anything that I do that I can't do with my wife or I can't do
with my son or my daughters, then I'm in trouble, I don't care what it is. There's

nothing in my life that I would do that I had to hide from my wife. So if I'm
going to go in and share a secret oath that I can never reveal to my wife. I'm in
deep trouble.

First off I couldn't do it because I would never do something that I would have to
hide from my own wife because she's one with me in Christ. So right off I've got
a problem. Secondly, as a Christian, I don't need the light of the lodge, because I
already have the light of Jesus Christ. And so I'm not in darkness seeking the
light of the lodge or the light of the knowledge of man. They could put sixteen
hoods over my head and I'm still in light because I'm in Christ.

But if I allow myself to be submitted to that, and I kneel down and swear a blood
oath to keep the secrets that I'm learning and that I will hide the sins of my
fellow masons, murder and treason excepted, I am no longer in fellowship with
Christ. As a Christian I cannot swear that oath. These are simple things here.
Thirdly, is the Masonic relationship with Jesus.

I was talking to a Mason a while back. He is in The Blue Lodge, which is the
lower level, encompassing the first three levels of Masonry, so he's really in the
lower level. He told me he was a Christian. I said, "Do you love the Lord Jesus
Christ?"

He answered, " Yes, of course I do. There is nothing in Masonry that
would offend Jesus Christ"

I said, "Are you sure there is nothing that you do in Masonry that would
be offensive to Jesus?"

He said, "Ed, nothing that I do in the Blue Lodge would ever offend the
Lord Jesus Christ."

"Do you love the Lord, " I asked?

"Of course I do!"

"Do you believe the Word of God? "

"YES, of course I do!"

"Do you live the Word of God? "

"YES, well, at least I do my best!"

" Well then, if you love the Lord Jesus Christ, then you'll do what he says
and you will not do what he says not to do. So how can you be a Mason?"

"What are you talking about?"

I said, "Well, Jesus himself says to swear no oath. Let your yes be yes and
your no, no. He said anything more come of evil."

He looked at me for a long minute and finally responded, "Yeah, but
that's, you know, symbolic."

I said, "I'm sorry, but it's not symbolic. Its the Word of God.”

That’s the simplest, most direct answer to the lodges. As a Christians, we are not
to swear any oath. So we don't swear oaths. We must let our yes be yes and our
no, no.

In the very beginning of their ritual journey, when the Masons receive that white
apron, which my Dad treasured so greatly, they are told how wonderful it will
be to see God and then the fruit of all men's lives shall be made known. They are
told in the "Apron lecture" that their apron shall be their covering when they
stand before the great white throne judgment of God. And they go on just slide
right through that ritual.

The great white throne judgment of God is the judgment of the damned. In
Revelations 20, it says that those are not in Christ will be raised up to go to the
great white judgment of God. It's not the first time that lie has been told. It goes
all the way back to Genesis 3, when man first tried to cover his sin with an apron
f his own making. God ejected it then and He still rejects it today, whether it's the
Masons or the Mormons, God is not pleased.

Lucifer, himself, tells the Mormons to wear the apron in the Mormon temple
ritual. He says, "Look here comes Father, quick, cover yourselves." And they
cover themselves. In that ritual, Lucifer is actually wearing an apron that
resembles that of a Past Worshipful Master. Sitting back behind all this, Satan has
to laugh at our stupidity.

One of the men here was telling me that he was the Past Worshipful Master of a
lodge and he will recall with me that they perform a ceremony in which the
initiate goes through a mock death and resurrection. He is raised up from death
by the power of the Strong Grip, the Lion's Paw Grip, by the power of the Master
of the lodge who is supposed to have that position of resurrection power to raise
him from the dead. He becomes born again, symbolically in Masonry, by the
power of the Strong Grip or the Lion's Paw grip, which is the secret or sacred
grip of the Master in the Blue Lodge. But, to the Christian, Jesus is the
resurrection of life and not the master of any lodge, not the power of the strong
grip and not the power of the Masonic order.

The Blue Lodge Masons, encompassing the first three degrees of Masonry, are
instructed that they are seeking the lost word, or the lost name of God. The
rituals are kind of built around this idea. They're seeking greater knowledge. Yet,
some of the leading masons and in some of the rituals of the higher levels that
they sort of smile at the Blue Lodge.

At the higher levels, they teach that the Blue Lodge is just the outer court yard of
true Masonry and that those who are involved in the Blue Lodge are led to
believe that they getting answers but they are being misled, even when they
think they are being led properly.

They are not allowed to know the truth, because the truth is only for those who
prove their worthiness. Sounds like Mormonism again. Only at the higher levels
can they get the real knowledge, but the Blue Lodge is purposely misled with
allegory and misleading symbolism so that they think they know but these
people are actually being fooled by the higher levels of Gnostic Masons.

It isn't until they reach the level of Royal Arch Masonry that they discover that
the lost name of God wasn't lost after all. It's at this level that they learn the
sacred name of God.

They find that the sacred name of God is composed of three names, representing
the three identities of God. It is so sacred that it takes three Royal Arch Masons to
be able to speak it. One Mason cannot say the full name of God, which is
Jaobulon. The three Masons grip hands high and low and chant, Jao-bul -on,
Jao-bul-on, Jao-bul-on, Je-hov-ah. The Masonic material identifies the three as
Jehovah, Ba'al and Osiris.

What these men are doing is worshipping a demon god so far removed from the
real God that this worship must surely defile the holiness of God and guarantee
those who pronounce that name in such a ceremony a swift ride to Hell after
they stand at that white throne judgment of the damned, in their Masonic
aprons. What foolish men..

Manly P Hall was one of the highest-level Masonic teachers and authors. He is
also a Luciferian, as you will discover in some of the other chapters. In his book,
DARK Secrets OF All Ages, he has a picture of the key demon of Freemasonry,
the Goat of Mendes or Baphomet. We published that picture in the Huntington
House, Salt Series book. The QUESTION OF FREEMASONRY.

I had a phone call one day from a lady back East. She said she had become a born
again Christian about 6 months earlier. She was the head of all the Eastern Star

for her state and she said that she started going to a ladies Bible study group,
called Women's Aglow

She related that these women kept bothering her about being involved in the
Eastern Star. They kept telling her to get out of that. She told them that she
enjoyed the Eastern Star and they did a lot of good, benevolent things and that
she was the head of the State Eastern Star and just couldn't drop out it that easy
even if she wanted to.

She told me that something had been happening to her ever since she became a
Christian. The nights that she'll go out and officiate at chapter ceremonies,
installing the officers in the local areas, she'd go home or to the hotel and this
horrible demon would come in to her room at night and physically and sexually
attack her.

She knew it was demonic and she was fighting and she couldn't battle this thing.
She had talked to her husband about it, but nobody else knew about this horrible
thing she was going through. She was trying to pray her way through this. She
said that one day she was coming home from a short trip as I just described and
saw a Christian bookstore.

She said to herself, "I'm going to pull in there and I'm going to find out if they
have any material on the Masonic lodge and Eastern Star. I'm going to get a book
and I'm going to get some answers before anybody talks to me again, before I get
harassed one more time by the ladies at Women's Aglow or anyone else. I'm
going to get some answers. "

She said that she went in and asked them if they had any material on Masonry at
all and they said, "No, we don't; but we just had a book come in the mail and its
called The Question of Freemasonry."

She picked up the book and opened it up and there was Manly P. Hall's picture
of the power of Masonry, the strong man, and the demon god, Baphomet. That
was the demon that had been coming into her bedroom. She fled out of the
bookstore, picked up her husband at his office and sped home.

She was calling me from her house a few hours later. She and her husband had
written letters of demit, both resigning from every Masonic organization. As she
finished her story she said, "Mr. Decker, we haven't even read the rest of the book. ”
The one page, with its picture was enough to convince them that Masonry was
darkness out of the pit!

That ties in to another mystery of Freemasonry. Each step of Masonry has its
own set of secret signs, penalties, sacred names and so on. In the 17th level of the
Scottish rite, the Knights of the East and The West, the sacred word the Masons
learn is Abbadon.

The scriptures tell us in Revelations 9:11 that the demons of the pit of hell have a
king over them and his name in the Hebrew is Abbadon. Somebody better wake up!
The information is there for a Christian who has ever read a Bible. Any Christina
who sits through that initiation and does not flee from the ritual room is
submitting himself [and therefore his wife and children] to the headship of
Abbadon, the king of the pit of hell.

It's interesting that the Eastern Star emblem is the inverted five-pointed star that
is the Pentagram, often called the Goat of Mendes that is the geometric example
of Baphomet. Written into the star are the mystical ritual initials, F.A.T.A.L. The
ladies in the Eastern Star think it stands for Fair Among Thousands, Altogether
Lovely. It really stands for the fatal attraction of Eastern Star and the fatal
bondage that comes with it.

I was over in the Philippines and while there; I visited the American cemetery in
Manila. It is a somber walk as you stand among the thousands of graves where
so many Americans were buried. I was going through all the names of the
American service men who died on the walls of this huge monument and I
noticed that everybody who had won a congressional medal of honor had an
inverted five-pointed star next to his name.

And there were three little dots at the end of each star point that are Masonic
dots; you'll see them in all the Masonic material. I wondered why it was on there,
so I did a little research and discovered that it actually is the design of the United
States Congressional Medal of Elonor. It's a Pentagram, a literal Pentagram.

The inverted five-pointed star in a circle is one of the most powerful Satanic
emblems in the universe as far as Satanists are concerned.

That's the Congressional Medal of Honor! As I researched that, I discovered that
Masons designed it. I also discovered that the Statue of Liberty was a gift of the
Masonic brethren in France to the American Masons and it, too, is filled with
Masonic, occult symbols all over it.

I discovered in Washington D.C. that the streets around the White House were
laid out by a Masonic architect and they are laid out in the form of the Goat of
Mendes and the Square and Compass of Freemasonry. The Capitol Building and
its streets actually form the Goat of Mendes and the square and the compass of
Freemasonry intersect the Washington Monument, right in dead line with it. The
left leg of the Masonic compass sits on top of the White House and the right leg
sits on the Jefferson Memorial. Jefferson was a deist and a Mason, and an
Illuminati member. So was Benjamin Franklin.

These great men who are highly esteemed for their great work in establishing
our country were also busy laying in the root of occult power, a conspiracy
designed to mystically affect our nation's Capitol.

Designed in the streets themselves, and with its southern point sitting in the
center of the White House is an inverted five-pointed star that again is the
geometric face of the Goat of Mendes. And you wonder why we have stargazers
in the White House.

The other thing that bothered me while I was researching this in Washington
D.C. was the fact that every Federal building that exists has been prayed for and
set apart by the Masons in their ritual. They have the cornerstones filled with
their own paraphernalia, their own prayers to Jaobulon. It's only because God
still has prayer power Christians in this nation that we haven't succumbed to
these things.

But these are the things of darkness that must we fight against today. We have a
door opened to Satan's kingdom sitting right in our National capitol. There is a

dark spiritual power that sits over our country today because of this. I believe
that we need to stand up against it, spiritually.

In ritual of the Blue Lodge, Masons are sworn to keep the secrets of their
brethren, murder and treason excepted. In the Royal Arch degree, the one where
they learn the name of their god, they swear that same oath, murder and treason
included.

What chance does a non - Mason have going into a court of law against Masons
when there is a Masonic judge and Masonic attorneys. All a Mason has to do is
let a Masonic Judge, or even a Masonic Juror know that he is a Masonic brother
and that is that.

Sometimes you look at the way a case, is going and it just doesn't make sense.

We had one in Seattle not too long ago, in fact the Union my sister worked for
was involved in it and nothing went right, even simple points that were obvious
to everyone but the Judge. They couldn't figure out what was wrong and I asked
her, "Are the defendants and the judge Masons?" She checked it out and found
out that they were. I said,

"You don't have a chance. There is no way you can win because, they
passed the word to the judge in the lodge or they gave that Judge a signal,
they gave him the sign of the square, or the sign of distress, gave him one
of a dozen different signs they could give him and that judge was bound
by his Masonic code to find for his brother. He is going to do that for the
Mason whether he's right or wrong."

In another case a few years ago, a wealthy businessman was accused of
molesting his granddaughter. I knew that he was a Mason held in high esteem in
the city. I was surprised to see that the Judge in his case was a well-known
Shriner and wondered how the judge was going to act for the state, in the matter
and also uphold his Masonic oaths.

A week into the highly publicized case, the Judge came in one morning and
announced that he had made a grave error in allowing certain testimony. He said
the error was quite grave, since it meant that he had to dismiss the charges. He
said his error would not allow the man to get a fair trial, ever and therefore, he
could not be recharged. The Judge took an official reprimand and yet sits in the
bench today, a Mason of high honor. What Christian, living as a disciple of
Christ could sit by and see that take place, yet remain in the lodge?

Masons can't even talk about Jesus, as Lord and Savior in the Masonic Lodge,
because Jesus is recognized as a great teacher, only and not the Word which
became Flesh. He is merely one of the great teachers, the same as Buddha, the
first legislator in Masonry. And Jesus, Moses, Zoroaster and Socrates are all parts
or pieces of one great truth. The Masons say that they do not look at the
individual; they look at the truth that they bring.

The only requirement is to believe in a supreme being and therefore people who
are in Islam can be involved in it. They worship a stone idol sitting in the Kaaba
and believe that is really God. They can actually be a Mason because they believe
in their own deity. And so Jesus isn't being represented there in a form that
should be acceptable to any Christian.

In the Masonic lodge, the Holy scriptures take the same devaluation even though
they have a Bible there. Yet, when they quote the scripture in the ritual, if it were
compared word for word to the Bible you would find that the name of Jesus has
been taken out. It sure sounds good. But Jesus is washed away.

In the 30th level of the Scottish Rite, the Masons take the communion of the dead.
As they take their communion, they drink the wine out of the top of a human
skull and are told that they have taken in the blood of those great teachers. At
that same, they eat the bread they are told they have eaten the bodies of those
great bearers of light. It is an abomination for a Christian to partake in this
occult type of the Roman Catholic ritual of trans-substantiation, partaking in the
literal blood and flesh of Christ, which in itself is a non-Biblical rite.

When the Masons make it to the thirty-second degree, they can decide to go into
the Shrine and this is where a whole new set of problems comes into sight. I have
often had a Shriner say, "There is nothing that I do in the Shrine that I wouldn't
be pleased to be involved in with my family."

But, when I mention a few things in the ritual and initiation, they change the
subject very quickly because some of it is obscene. I know that I would never
want my wife to see me doing some of those things. But, that's the superficial
problem.

The really obscene thing is that at the end of that demeaning initiation, they
kneel down at an altar and they pray and swear a blood oath that is four and a
half pages long, including penalties that say if you reveal the secrets, you'll have

your eyeballs pierced with a three-edged blade and other fun stuff. At the end of
this oath, which, in advance, they agree is non-revocable, they say this.

and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the God
of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. Amen,
Amen, Amen." (THE ANCIENT ARABIC ORDER, NOBLES OF THE MYSTIC
SHRINE, pp 35-39, Allen Publishing Co., NY, NY.)

What a pitfall for the Shriner who claims to be a Christian! Allah is not another
name for God. Allah is a tribal deity, a stone or wooden idol carved by the hand
of man and it sits entombed in the sacred black building, the Kaaba, in Mecca,
where all of Islam bows down to it. Allah is a demon god who has destroyed
nation after nation of followers. And the Shriners who submit themselves to the
godship of Allah have submitted themselves to demonic headship.

It bothers me every time I see the Shriners marching in a parade. They are
usually busy with their little cars or motorcycles, zipping around with their red
fezzes. I did a little study on the red fez.

The fez comes from the name of the city of Fez, a city in Morocco, in North West
Africa. In the early eighth century, the city was overrun by Islamic hordes. They
came into the Christian city of Fez and demanded that they convert to Islam or
be slaughtered. They refused. The Muslims took every man, woman, and child,
brought them into the square and butchered them and cut their bodies apart.

These were true Christian martyrs who died for Christ; 45 thousand men,
women, and children. The Muslim butchers took their white hats and dipped

them in the blood of the dying Christian children and women and wore it as a
symbol of their honor.

When a man says that he is a Christian and comes into a Christian church after
having just left a lodge or parade where he wore that red fez, God must cry out
in agony over that wickedness. It's an abomination to God. When a man wears a
hat on his head that symbolizes by its color, by its very name the butchering of
Christian martyrs and call himself a Christian. I wouldn't want to be within
seventeen light-years of him when he sees the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes.
Because I can tell you what's going to happen to him. He will exert the penalty to
the deaths of every one of those martyrs and all the children's burn hospitals of
the world will not make up for it.

Several years ago, a daily newspaper in , Florida, the Orlando Sentinel published
a report on the Shrine hospital program. 98% of the money the Shriners raise in
these circuses wasn't going to the hospitals. It went to the Shriners for their
parties. Ninety-eight percent of the money they raise at these hospital gatherings
went toward the parties they are so well known for. Ninety-eight percent went to
their little cars and their little boats and their temples, their little hats and stuff.
Two percent went to the hospitals.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if these men rejected that and put it aside and said "I'm
going to follow Christ! Christ is my Lord, Christ is my Savior and I'm going to
follow Him, and I'm going to put this stuff aside, even if there is a shred of a
doubt."

But let me tell you where the real sin is. If you think this is bad, I got news for
you. I'll tell you where it's really bad. After years of intense study, after having
lived in this thing my entire life with my Dad, my family, and my grandfather;
after generation after generation in my family and seeing it in my church; and
seeing throughout churches in the United States and all over the world, I have
found the deepest sin in Freemasonry. I've been all over the world with this
message. I've also been run out of a few towns with it. I've also been poisoned for
it , and I'm alive today and still talking!

The deepest sin of the lodge is if a Mason, as a father, as a husband, sets himself
to the spiritual whoredoms I have exposed. He will reap the harvest. The terrible
truth is that and it isn't going to be in him that it will be reaped, but in his wife
and his children's lives and his children's children to the third and fourth
generations.

He has walked away from Christ, placing Him in with Buddha and Zoroaster
and has surrendered himself to the law of the Old Testament by getting involved
with these Baal worshipers. He has removed himself from Godly headship and
he has opened the door to every Satanic attack in the entire world to his wife and
his kids whom he says he loves.

If you have rebellion in your home; if you have whoredoms in you family and
fornications, homosexuality, alcoholism, infidelity and these kinds of problems.

If there is sickness and no joy and no victory in your Christian walk, its because
the door to your home has been open to Baal. The demons of hell can walk right
through your front door and why? Because sitting in that lower left-hand corner
of that lower drawer of your dresser is the white-lambskin apron of the fraternity

and all the other paraphernalia that is associated with it. You are worshipping
at a false altar and you have submitted your family to that false altar.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we have to stand up against this. We have to
stand up against it in our family. If I were a Mason, reading this today I would
go home and I would burn that stuff. I would get on my knees before God, I
would go to my church and ask my pastor to let me go up before the
congregation, confess my sin and repent publicly because I have brought
whoredoms into the congregation.

This is the kind of sin that this is. The Mason has brought whoredom into the
congregation. When I speak about this in churches, I say,

"Hey, you know how we do it, everybody bow their heads, everybody's
eyes closed, stick up your hand and we'll pray for you. Well, not this time!
No. You've brought whoredom into the congregation, you have defiled
the congregation of the Holy.

"I want every eye up, I want every eye looking, and I want you stand up
and repent publicly in front of the whole congregation. Because it is that
kind of sin."

I've seen forty men in a single church stand up and repent. And I've also seen
some sit there. I was down in First Christian Church in Port Charlotte, Florida
and at the end of the meeting, I spoke and I asked the men to stand up and
repent. We had a lot of men and women repent. They stood and we prayed for
them.

There was a Worshipful Master present at that meeting. He was brought there by
one of the deacons of the church who was a Mason and the deacon sat there with
a grimace on his face the whole time we were praying for those who stood. Then
I did what I normally do, and I said,

"Those of you who have family who are involved in it, let's put a hedge about
you, a spiritual hedge. Let's break the power of Masonry over your family. Let's
put an end to this. We can come together in agreement, to break the power over
this church, to break the power over your family. For those of you who want to
pray to break the power over your families I want you to stand”

At that moment, this man's whole family, his wife and his kids stood up right
next to him, and they prayed along with all the rest. I smiled and thought,
"Brother, you are in deep trouble at home."

I wouldn't want to be in his shoes for anything because his wife and his kids had
made a spiritual commitment to the Lord to put an end to Masonry's control of
their family. God heard their cries!

At the end of that church service, the pastor stood up in his church and he said,

"Right now. I'm telling every Mason in this church, you have a week to
either repent or get out. That's as simple as I can make it. And if you think
you have enough power in this church to vote me out in a meeting, then
vote me out because I will not be a pastor of a church that has Masons in
control."

He took that stand and it broke the power of Masonry over that church. I talked
to that pastor of that church several months later and he said there was revival is
in the church. Friends, it was because they got rid of Baal worship in the
congregation. How can the Holy Spirit of God operate in a church where the
leaders, the board and even the pastor is involved in this kind of spiritual
harlotry? Our God will not share His glory with an idol!

What about the York Rite? So many contact me who say that, while the many
other branches of Freemasonry are certainly pagan, the York Rite is a Christian
Rite from start to finish. Would that it were true.

First, the deep roots of Freemasonry are entwined within every branch of the
craft and go through every level of paganism, cultic and occult practices, and
right into the depths of Luciferic rituals. No part of the system is exempt. The
York Rite is no different and those men within it who claim it is free from any
non-Christian influence are either blind fools or lying through their teeth!

Let's look at the "Knights Templar" Degree. It is reported to have originally been
established to preserve and protect the craft. The special garb worn in the
degree consists an Apron, sash and cordon.

The center of the Apron displays a hand holding a severed head, dripping blood.
On the flap is a hand holding a knife. Drops of red blood cover the white
background.

The Sash is white with a yellow fringe. It is filled with gory, severed heads,
arms and legs, mixed in with knives, crosses and crowns. The cordon , which
goes around the neck, is dark satin with severed heads down the side and a small
ceremonial sword as the breast ornament. Along with these grotesque items is a
human skull cut and pinned so that the top of the skull can be detached to use a
drinking vessel. And they call this the Christian Rite??

The paraphernalia of this ritual should be evidence enough that the York Rite is
every bit as pagan as the Scottish Rite, but let me finish this up with a few
excerpts from the rite, itself.

The obligation in this degree, called the Master's Nine Of Elect, is now given to
the candidate in the usual form. While the candidate is kneeling at the altar, the
companions all stand over him with raised poniards, as if about to stab him.

Meanwhile a horrible, bloody head sits on the altar, facing him.

He swears this blood oath: "I do solemnly swear, in the presence of Almighty God,
that I will revenge the assassination of our worthy Master, Hiram Abiff, not only on the
murderers, but also on all who may betray the secrets of this degree; and furthermore,
that I will keep and protect this Order with all my might, and the brethren, in general,
with all my power, and furthermore, that I will obey the decrees of the Grand Council of
Princes of Jerusalem; and, if I violate my obligation, I consent to be struck with the
dreadful poniard of vengeance, now presented to me, and to have my head cut off, and
stuck on the highest pole, or pinnacle, in the eastern part of the world, as a monument of
my villainy! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!”

The vows here are sealed with the Fifth Libation or The Sealed Obligation. The
candidate is given the human skull filled with wine, which he drinks after
swearing that "the sins of the person whose skull this once was, he heaped upon my
head, in addition to my own; and may appear in judgment against me, both here and
hereafter, should I violate or transgress any obligation in Masonry, or the Orders of [this]
knighthood..."

I am sorry, but any man who has sworn such oaths has so violated his Christian
faith that I suspect he and all those over whom he has headship have been removed
from that umbrella of Christ's protection.

If your church is dying, if evangelism is a foreign word in your congregation, if
there is discord within its ranks, if some small clique of people control the board
and the decisions, check it out. The Ba'al worshippers may be in control and the
Holy Spirit of God may be going to church down the street.

Well I've covered a lot of things that are important and I think that we have to
take a strong. Godly stand on Freemasonry. If you wonder why you don't have
victory in your family, now you may understand. I believe that Masonry is
multi-generational curse. I saw in my own family until my Dad was set free.

My Dad had to be led through the sinners' prayer about every six months, he
kept losing the witness of his salvation, and he lost his joy. My Dad used to up
and run out of communion services. He feared communion in the church. He
took the communion of the lodge but he wouldn't take communion in the
church. But he had no joy, he had anger and hostility and bitterness.

Dad went into the hospital in early February of 1990 for emergency surgery. He
had 6 bypasses for a critical heart failure. It was so bad, they did it late at night
on a weekend because they didn't think he would last until the morning. Dad
was certain that because he was 80 years old and in poor health, he wasn't going
to survive such an operation.

He called me to his side and told me that he loved me and I was right about
Masonry. Dad repented that night and prayed with me as he set things right with
the Lord. Dad told my mother not to let the Masons near his body. He didn't
want the apron. He wasn't going to the great white throne judgment. He was
going to the banqueting table!

Well, God gave Dad a special grace. Not only did Dad pull through like a
trooper, but he felt no pain, even though he had stitches running from his neck to
his toes. The morning after the operation, we had gone home for a little while
and a Lutheran Minister came into the room and asked my Dad if there was
anything he could do for him.

Dad said, "Yes, please, can you give me communion.?" My Dad was set free in
Christ. My Dad's days of running away from God were over. The joy and the
peace and the firm security of his salvation was there until the day he did go
home to be with Jesus a little over two years later, with his family at his side,
singing the hymns he loved and praising God for a father, a husband and
grandfather who had made his peace with God.

CHAPTER TWO

Preacher Without a Pulpit

Freemasonry, the Trojan Horse in the Church
Pierce Dodson
106 Bartonwood
Lebanon Tenn 347087

I am a preacher without a pulpit right now. This address has been brewing for
two years, so please be patient with me and let me get it out of my system.

The front-page article of a recent issue of The National Tennessean is called.
Devil's Got His Claw on Country Music. The author, Ray Wattle, is their
religion editor. He stated that a group of conservative pastors across the state of
Tennessee were planning to have a meeting to pray and come against the
strongholds of darkness that are the spiritual obstructions to the gospel in that
area.

In the article, the Masonic lodge was mentioned on two or three occasions as
part of that darkness these pastors were concerned about. It's something you
wouldn't have seen in print a few years ago. It is an encouragement to me that
bit-by-bit, piece by piece, God is bringing more of His people together and more
of the truth about the lodges is getting out to other people.

I have a letter from a man who is a rather prominent person within the Southern
Baptist Convention. I had written him about Freemasonry and he wrote back a
rather long letter. I don't get very long many letters when I write Southern

Baptists about Freemasonry. In fact, I usually don't get letters back, at all. When I
do, they are usually short and hardly sweet.

This man is one of the Southern Baptist officials and the interesting thing about
the letter is not what he says, but what he doesn't say, because he doesn't
mention Freemasonry in the letter at all. Somewhat strange, considering he was
answering an inquiry about Freemasonry in our denomination. You would not
believe the obstruction, the stonewalling, the covering up, the fear, and the
cowardice that this issue has evoked within the Southern Baptist Convention. It
is a shame and a disgrace for this to happen in a denomination that claims to be
a people of the Book. Please remember that I am one of them. Very few of you
are, but I am one, and I speak as one.

We have disgraced ourselves in our total mishandling of this issue. And may
God somehow in the closing days before our national convention, by some
miracle, set us free from its grasp. If not, we will complete the cover-up and
stand disgraced before God. Pray that it not happen. [Editor's note: It did happen. The
1993 SBC elected not to speak out against Freemasonry, but voted to accept Masons in fellowship
and leadership. May God have mercy on those leaders who let that happen]

The following scripture ought to be a guideline for all of us that seek to work in
this area:

"And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone,

able to teach, not resentful.

Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant
them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come
to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to
do his will. "

(2 Tim. 2: 24 -26)

There is a lot said in those three verses and much that we need to keep in heart
and in mind as we seek to deal with this matter.

The title of my address is FREEMASONRY, THE TROJAN HORSE IN THE CHURCH. I
believe the Lord gave me that title almost two years ago, so you can see that this
is a long time in coming. If you know anything about Greek mythology you
know that the Trojan horse was the means by which the Greeks successfully
brought their army into the city of Troy. It was an act of subterfuge. They hid
their soldiers in a hollow, wooden horse and then left it on the shores of the city

The people of Troy took it inside, not knowing what was in there, and it brought
about their destruction. The enemy entered and took the city captive without
losing a single man.

I believe we can apply that story today to Freemasonry within the local church
or denomination. For it is like that wooden horse. It has every appearance of
being proper and good, but it is a hollow horse. For hidden within it are the
seeds of destruction and they will come out to do their work, just as did the
Greek warriors and they will destroy the life of a church or a denomination.
Sadly, it need not be. The Bible says:

"He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning
from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's
work.

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in
him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. " (1 John 3: 8-9)

If we are to deal with this issue, we must have an understanding of the
dynamics of spiritual warfare. People rush into this issue without the first notion
that they are dealing with the powers and principalities of darkness. I know
didn't.

I was born and raised in a Southern Baptist home where I was converted to Jesus
Christ at the age of nine. Later in life, feeling the call to the ministry, I attended
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. At one time, it
was considered to be one of our more liberal institutions. However, there are
some changes in the wind and some good things are taking place there. Not all of
us who have gone to that school are liberals.

After finishing school, I stayed and pastored a church there in Kentucky and
was a good Southern Baptist minister. I served on the SBC State Executive
council for a three-year period and I served the church there for fourteen years.
Our church was very supportive of mission causes. We were very good Southern
Baptists in many ways.

I accepted a call later to a church in my home state, back in southeastern
Tennessee. I did not know what the Devil had waiting for me or I would still be

in Kentucky and I wouldn't be speaking at this conference. I guess that God had
some on-the-job training in store for me.

I took a county seat First Baptist Church and it all looked good on the surface.

But I remember when we drove into the center of the town and I saw the
Masonic Lodge Hall. I said to my wife, "Oh, honey, look. I hope this church is
not full of Masons."

Well! I didn't realize then what I was about to discover in the church. A few days
after arriving, I was in my office, and had just about finished putting my library
put up on the shelves, and I began a conversation with two church ladies about
Freemasonry. I had already realized that a number of my deacons were
Masons.

One of the ladies commented that her husband was a Mason, and when I
indicated that I was a bit concerned over the issue, she didn't seem angry or
offended, and I don't believe she was. The other lady seemed quite interested in
the subject and later followed up by doing some reading and some studying of
her own. Both ladies took my conversation and my comments in stride. They did
not say anything negative and did not seem, in any way offended by what I had
said.

Some weeks following that, our denomination held its annual meeting. It was in
Atlanta this time and I went to the meeting. There to my shock, a motion was
made on the floor of the convention for a study to be done on Freemasonry. I was
very surprised at that, already beginning to sense that Freemasonry was a
possible issue in my own church.

One of the ladies that had been in that conversation in the church office a few
weeks earlier was present and heard the motion made. I thought it was very
timely. I returned from Atlanta to my church a few days later. On my return, I
learned that one of the ladies in that conversation had spoken to her husband
about the conversation. Well, you can guess which one it was, the one whose
husband was a Mason.

Now in all fairness to this lady, I don't believe she ever maliciously tried to do
me in. In fact, what I heard was that they were sitting around one night and he
just made the comment, "Honey I have a feeling Brother Dodson would have a
strong stand against Masons."

He said it out of the blue and when he saw a funny look come over her face, he
pulled out of her what I had said that day in the office. Why did he come to that
conclusion? I'm not even sure at that point that I had made any kind of even a
veiled reference to Freemasonry in my preaching.

But I had preached a two-part message on the exclusive nature of the Gospel and
that will do it every time. He was involved enough in the theology of
Freemasonry and he was intelligent enough to see the utter contradiction
between what I was saying in the pulpit and what he had heard at the lodge hall.
Not all Masons pick up that contradiction. Thank God that he did.

Unfortunately, he called his best friend who was one of the deacons. From that
moment, my tenure at this church was history. I lasted about thirty days after
that. My total time on the job was four months. This is after a fourteen-year

tenure on my last call. I had at least done something right for fourteen years at
one church. It wasn't run by Masons.

There was a regularly scheduled deacons' meeting right after I came back from
Atlanta. It came before I fully realized the seriousness of what was going on, but
I had a sense of foreboding before I went in to it. I didn't know if it was a
premonition on my part or that I was really just being paranoid.

I already knew that the word was out on what I had said about Freemasonry.
When I went into that meeting, I was treated very rudely by the deacon who I
had mentioned above, who knew what I had said about Freemasonry. I was
probably the only person present who knew the burr in his saddle.

He didn't say a word about Freemasonry in that meeting but he was very angry
with me because I had dared to call any question about the lodge. We somehow
managed to get through an exhausting set of his complaints about every aspect
of my performance as pastor. The following night I received an angry phone call
from this person who proceeded to scream at me, "I hear you call Masonry an
occult organization. And not to my credit, I shot back, "Yes, I did and it is."

We calmed down after that and both had prayer before we finished the phone
call. But. we were set on a collision course. As the next few days and weeks
begin to pass, I realized that I had this tremendous problem on my hands. I was a
brand new pastor, I had no base of support there yet, not as a new pastor and I
thought, "Well, this issue may be hot and it may cost me my job but I better
educate some people."

So I tried to distribute some literature clandestinely to different people. That
wasn't a good idea either. In the midst of everything else, my secretary came and
revealed to me something, which really drove home the serious impact of what I
was doing. A lot of my Southern Baptist brothers may have a problem with this,
but she said that she had a vision.

Now most of us Southern Baptists don't have any visions unless they had a chili
supper the night before or something like that. And this lady was definitely not
one who would be characterized as a charismatic. She said, "I had this vision
and in my vision I saw that Satan held this church in his grip. "

I thought, "Woe unto us! I am the pastor of this church and Satan holds it in his
grip." I knew by then that about one third of my eighteen deacons were Masons.
I didn't know until later that I had between thirty to fifty people in the
congregation of the church who were also Masons or Eastern Star. It was in a
church of about 250 to 300 people. That's a sizable portion, folks. You can take
that vision anyway you want to, but I believe that God supplied my secretary
with that vision and I believe that Satan does grip that church.

In that town, on the main street, there was a liquor store called Lucifer's Liquors.
I have never seen a liquor store more apply named. So Satan was being
advertised in neon lights right on main street of this little small town. Of course,
if folks had known all the other activity that the devil had going on there, they
could have put some of those signs up other places, too.

Had I driven to the cemetery before I went to my interview at that church, I
would have been enlightened. Lor there in the cemetery is a special section called

The Masonic Gardens, and there is laid out a miniature lodge hall right out in the
middle of the cemetery. It has a marble altar with a marble Bible on it and then
the lodge chairs, placed as they would be placed in a lodge.

I don't believe Satan just holds that particular church in his grip. His influence is
pervasive throughout the entire area and it will be anywhere that Freemasonry is
as strong as it is there.

Well, a special deacons meeting was called after a piece of my literature got into
the wrong hands. I got a phone call one Sunday afternoon and was told that
there was a deacons meeting that night after services and the caller asked if I
knew about it. I answered, "No, I'm just the pastor, so I don't know about the
deacons meeting tonight."

This man and I both suspected what the subject was to be. It was certainly
obvious that they weren't going to invite me, I was to be left out.

We were to have the Lord's Supper that night. One of the deacons, at least had
enough courage to stand up to one of the Masons and ask, "How can we take the
Lord's Supper and turn around and have this secret meeting behind the back of
our pastor? "

Of course, you're used to secrecy if you're a Freemason. They wanted this
meeting and they were probably going to roast me in absentia. I'm sure it wasn't
in the plan, but one deacon invited me ten minutes before church that night and
I walked into the meeting like I belonged there. All the deacons were standing

around the room in a semi-circle. Most of the non-Mason deacons didn't know
what that meeting was called for, but the Masons knew.

There was an empty chair sitting out in the middle of the semicircle. I don't think
it was placed there for me, but I took it anyway. I just thought, "I'm taking
charge of this thing." I went right to the center of the room and sat in that chair.

One of the Mason deacons did not want me to make my spiel and tried to silence
me. One of the older non-Mason deacons did not know a hill of beans about
what was going on, but called his hand and let me go on with what I had to say.
The meeting that night didn't really resolve anything. It was a very tense
meeting. You talk about an atmosphere that was heavy: that was heavy.

The following Wednesday I was informed by that non-Mason deacon that he had
received a meeting notice that afternoon. Apparently, some surveying was being
done and they were lining up the votes to see if they could fire me and not let
me in church that night. Apparently, the votes were close because I was there in
church when the meeting opened.

I was going to speak that night on a subject that was part of a series I was doing
on Wednesday nights. I didn't know the providential hand of God was at work.

I was to speak that night on standing alone! You know, I stood there alone and
my mouth was full of cotton, but I spoke on standing alone. Well, the
Wednesday night service passed and as I looked out over the congregation I
realized they didn't have the votes tonight.

Sunday morning I was approached by one of the Masonic deacons. He took me
into the office, and said, "Have you reached a decision yet?" They had asked me
the previous Sunday night, "Can you work with us?" Well, I knew the
incompatibility of Freemasonry and Christianity, especially in the leadership of
the church. I knew that basically, these Masons had two options: renounce
Freemasonry or step down as a deacon in the church.

To the best of my knowledge, I had never articulated that, but I called him by his
name, and said, "The issue here is truth." Now listen carefully to what he
responded, as a deacon in a Baptist church. He said, "Well what is truth to you is
not necessarily truth to me."

Now if that had been Shirley McLaine, no big deal! But this was a Baptist
deacon! One of my own Baptist deacons. Apparently, he too, had ingested the
theology of Freemasonry.

That afternoon, I struggled with this thing. I thought, well I'll give it thirty days.
Talk about turmoil! My wife and I had just bought our first home. We hadn't
even paid the first house payment. I had never before felt the intense pressure
that I was under that day. To make matters worse, there were visitors from our
former church in Kentucky down that weekend and they could see our turmoil.

It is painful for me to try to relive some of that. I can get up here today but you
do not know the pain or the anguish that we have suffered and not just through
that period. Almost two years later. I'm still not a pastor.

But you see, that afternoon, I thought I would give it thirty days. Then I thought,
no. I'll give it two weeks and then I said, no. I'm going to resign tonight. I
decided that I was going to fight this thing out and just go ahead and step down.

I would do it graciously, I thought, not in an ugly spirit, with no anger.

I knew there was a special program that night. I didn't know what the youth
were doing exactly, except that it was a musical. The title of the musical was The
Big Picture,

based the story of a twenty-eight year old woman. The theme was " You don't
understand your trials when you're going through them but you have to wait to
see the big picture. Well, I was looking for that big picture.

I sat there that night with my wife. A former Mason who had been a deputy in a
large city came from nearby to sit with me. The pastor's wife from the other
church came to sit with my wife. The young people finished their program and I
got up and reading from a prepared text, I resigned. I never mentioned
Freemasonry, I showed no anger and I stepped down with grace. I just stated
the fact that there was a situation at the church that made it impossible for me to
fulfill my calling to the ministry of the gospel.

Our house went back on the market before the first payment was made. Don't
feel sorry for us, God has taken care of us all through that period. In fact. I'm
probably one of the few preachers on record who has been paid longer not to be
the pastor of a church than he was paid to be the pastor. Let me tell you how
God did that. One of the non-Mason deacons said, "I recommend we pay him full
salary for six months." In their shame and guilt, they jumped at it.

We didn't run away. We stayed on in that community for another year and a
half, so that they couldn't sweep it up. I was a constant reminder of the sin of
rebellion against the leadership God had given them, a leadership, which they
would not heed. We Southern Baptists have a tremendous problem with
recognizing authority in the church. There is a tremendous spirit of rebellion in
many of our churches and it was certainly evident in the situation there.

About six months after I had stepped down, a man sitting in this conference
called me. I will never forget it. He has become a dear friend. He said his church,
in middle Tennessee, was without a pastor and he wondered if I could fill in and
do some preaching and I said, "yes, six months was a long time for a preacher to
be quiet."

The church didn't get to vote on me. I was just installed as their interim pastor.
After four or five months into my stay there, the committee decided that they
would like to officially call me to be pastor of this church. So I thought about it
and finally allowed them to submit my name to the church.

Well, there were several ladies in this church who, even though this was some
distance from where I had previously been a pastor, had grown up in that area
and words filtered down about that Anti-Masonic preacher, Dodson.

Either through their contacts or by some other means, some people in the new
church began talking about what had happened to me at the previous church.
Finally, the deacons in the church where I was being considered as pastor asked
me to explain my stand on Freemasonry to them.

Not only did I explain my stand, but I showed them a videotape, FROM
DARKNESS TO Light. Well, fools rush in! You can see I made a few judgment
errors along the way. But not really, as far as that is concerned, I mean that is just
putting it on the line.

One of the men in that meeting was sympathetic to the Freemasons and he
supplied them with the information about the tape. That didn't go over too well
once the Masons learned about it. But the membership there was much smaller
than the previous congregation and there were no Masonic deacons at all.

But, when challenged masonry will always show its true colors. They can talk
about charities and hospitals and good works all day but when you expose them
as I did, you are going to see the real god of the lodge come out from behind his
mask and show himself.

It was like the replaying of a bad movie. Word had gotten out that the church
was going to vote on my calling to be the permanent pastor and the Masons
came out to cut me off at the pass. I still think it was a tactical blunder on the
Masons part but they decided they were going shoot me down before I could
become the pastor. They had all their Masons there that night. Their numbers
weren't great and at least one of them hadn't been in the church in ages. One
church member remarked to me later, "Well, the Lord couldn't get him here but
the lodge did.”

Well, it was as if they had been practicing it for weeks. They got up and literally
stomped in unison to the front. There were people there who were actually
frightened by them, as though something really bad was going to happen.

One of them pointed his finger at me and said, "You're the trouble maker!" I'm
sure that many times the Lord Jesus was looked upon as a troublemaker. There,
in front of the whole church, this man shouted at me to meet with all the Masons.
I said, "I'll meet with you and I'll meet with the deacons and the pulpit
committee. You and all the Masons can meet with all of us."

You know, we never had our meeting. Then, as that service closed, I had a lady
walk up to me ask me if I was in any danger. And I said, "Yes Ma'am, I sure
could be." Believe me folks, Ed Decker has certainly proved that there are
dangers involved. The history of Freemasonry is fraught with examples of
violence, however, they might deny it. I still believe that as this issue continues
to rise to the surface and is openly dealt with there will be many acts of violence.
Yes, even in our day against some who dare to stand against Freemasonry.

Even after a campaign of character assassination had been conducted and phone
calls made to members of the congregation, the Masons still could not get
enough votes against me. They did get a large number because many people
were intimidated by these fellows. But, when push came to shove, I won the
vote. It was obviously not a good vote and I wrestled with that. I prayed and
agonized over that, struggling with it, and finally believed that it was not God's
will that I take it. I declined the call of the church.

The next day one of the Masons had already taken my name off the signboard of
the church thinking I was gone. But I only declined the call of permanent pastor,

I was still there. They had to live with me for another two or three months. And I

know that must have killed them. But I stayed around until the church called a
full time pastor and then I stepped down.

As I finish my remarks, I want to use this occasion to call leaders of the Southern
Baptist church to take a stand for Jesus Christ. Brothers, you know that
Freemasonry is not of God. How can the Holy Spirit of God operate in a church
that is controlled unrighteously by Masons? Love Christ enough and love your
fellow man enough to take a stand.

There are very few who have suffered at their hands like I have. Yet, I love these
men, I do not hate them. I want to conduct myself in a spirit of love with them.
But I call upon my denominational leaders to renounce the lodge, this cancerous
Trojan Horse that stands within our gates..

Our denomination has been locked in a battle for the last few years over the
conservatives vs. liberals, or the moderates as they have been labeled in our
denomination. I have learned something the last two years. And I hope this falls
into the hands of some of my conservative brethren in my denomination. I want
to know which is worse: a liberal who doesn't know what to believe or a
conservative who doesn't have the guts to stand up for what is God's truth.

It is so tragic. There are many Southern Baptists who know that there is an
incompatibility between Freemasonry and Christianity. But they won't do
anything about it because it isn't politically wise. Something must be done. This
is a stronghold in our denomination. Yes, it may cost us some members; so be it!
It may cost us some money; fine!

I believe in a sovereign All Mighty God who could supply us with more
members to take their place and more money to fulfill our needs, if we'll just
stand up for Him. Maybe, we might even see the return of the Holy Spirit to our
churches. We may even see revival come. Just imagine what could happen if we
put away the idols and sold out to the Lord. What a day of rejoicing it would be!

CHAPTER THREE

The Public School Connection

Tom McKenney
P.O. Box 413
Marion, KY 42064

Why Are Freemasonry, the New Age and Mormonism
So Determined To Promote Public Schools while
Resisting Christian Schools, Private Academies
and Home schooling?

The Masonic Commitment.

In my earliest studies of Freemasonry, I noticed a curious thing: one of its
principal public policies is to promote and defend the public school system. [1]
Not just schools, but public schools. I wondered about it, but decided that it must
be just a public relations gimmick, something to make the Masonic Lodge system
look wholesome, respectable and safe, along with its similar public policy of
giving lip service to patriotism.

After all, who could find fault with being in support of children and their chance
to be educated, to have doors of opportunity opened for them? As a result of
Masonry's consistent, ongoing public relations efforts in this regard the public,
when thinking of what Masonry stands for, thinks of that dedicated teacher with
an apple on her desk. Old Glory hanging on the wall, God Bless America painted

over the door and a room full of happy, growing children, feasting on
knowledge.

Good PR, I thought, and left it at that. Later on in my studies of Freemasonry, I
learned that support of public schools is also a matter of emphasis in the Order of
DeMolay. In this prep school for the Lodge, the Masonic order for boys not yet 21
(the minimum age for joining the Lodge itself), the DeMolay boys in their black,
hooded, Dracula style robes, declare in the opening ceremony of their lodge,
their support of the public schools exclusively. [2]

Interesting, I thought, there is that public school angle again. And they must say,
"exclusively". This made me think that there must be more to Freemasonry's
support of public schools than merely a matter of shallow public image building;
but I still had no idea of the motive, or the depth of their commitment.

Freemasonry And the New Age.

Still later in my Masonic studies, a friend called my attention to the fact that the
late Alice Bailey, most revered of New Age writers, had made an interesting
statement in her book, EXTERNALIZATION OF THE HIERARCHY. [3] She wrote that
there were three main channels by means of which the American people will be
prepared to receive and accept the New Age messiah. Lord Maitraya.

These three channels, she wrote, would be the traditional religious system
(which translates to the dead church system). Freemasonry and the Public
Schools. My mind seized upon the Freemasonry part because it was such an

important bit of evidence tying Masonry to the New Age and its neo-pagan
revival.

The dead church angle made sense immediately. It is common knowledge that
more and more traditional churches and their educational institutions, having
long since abandoned the experiential reality of the Christian faith and belief in
the Bible, and are dabbling in the New Age (or converting outright). For
example, not long ago there was a ripple in the news about a witchcraft seminar
conducted by the theological seminary of Southern Methodist University in
which a Neo-pagan instructor built an altar to the goddess Diana and had the
students offer sacrifices to her.

Such dabbling of the dead church system in the New Age was not news to me;
once the unchanging standard of Holy Scripture is first doubted and then
abandoned, such occult drifting is entirely predictable. But here again was the
public schools thing.

Interesting, I again thought. But I just assumed that she meant something subtle
like slipping a little occult poison into otherwise wholesome textbooks and
materials. My attention was focused on the Freemasonry aspect of her statement,
for that was what was on my mind. I had still not realized the fundamental
importance to these groups of keeping children in the public schools, and the
consequent threat to them represented by Christian schools, private academies
and home schooling.

Alice Bailey had much, much more in mind than just mixing a little of the occult
in with essentially traditional books and materials; but I failed even to suspect it I
had not yet seen the public school connection.

Mormonism. Too.

Then, recently, a copy of a secret Mormon document, a handout at a leadership
conference in Utah, shed more light on the subject. [4] The subject of the
conference was troublemakers within Mormonism, those who might cause
problems by thinking independently rather than blindly following the ever-
changing, and many contradictory pronouncements and positions of the
Mormon hierarchy, the leadership elite.

There were 20 warning signs the leaders were told to watch for. Number 1 on the
list was "They follow the practice of home schooling." Since, for Mormons,
Christian schools are not an option, this translates in most cases to "They will not
keep their children in public schools."

Since Mormonism cannot be truly separated from Freemasonry, and since
neither can be separated from the New Age, this rang a very loud bell!
Mormonism is also committed to public schools! But why? I had still not seen the
public school connection.

The Public Education Reform Movement.

Three years ago, public school reform hit Kentucky like a great tidal wave.
Before the citizens of the Commonwealth had any idea of what was happening.

let alone what it meant, they were overwhelmed. Their historic public school
system, with its local control in the form of elected members of the local school
board, was gone. The public school program, its goals and methods, had been
radicalized, and control belonged to the State.

My wife, suspicious from the start of the promotional materials produced by the
State, began to ask questions; the answers were disturbing. Similarly, my very
first exposure to the State's program set off alarms in me. With no knowledge of
all this, and with absolutely no preconceived ideas, I didn't like the sound of a
State-sponsored radio promotional spot about the new program. It quoted
an old African proverb to the effect that "It takes a whole village to raise a child. "

I thought., " this sounds anti-family and unscriptural to me . . . it is saying that the
parents, the family alone, can't be trusted with the rearing of the child, and that we need
the State's help."

I thought, "Since when do we need to regulate American social and educational
institutions on the basis of African proverbs?"

With every question, every discovery, the reform

program was revealed as un-American, unscriptural and anti-traditional in its
goals and practices. There was a great deal more there than the public had been
told, and it all looked bad. Once again, the education bureaucrats were
reinventing the wheel and, as usual, it wasn't round. But this was much worse;
this time they were after total revision of our values, our social and political
system; they were after the surrender of our personal freedom and privacy in the

guise of concern for child welfare. George Orwell's 'Big Brother' had arrived, and
most of us didn't even know he was coming!

Kentucky Has Become the Showpiece.

For the radical social manipulators, Kentucky had become the focus, the chosen
battleground for their breakthrough, and they had concentrated all the weapons
they had in the assault. There had been several years of low profile planning
sessions and an advertising campaign that presented right-sounding goals.

The total effect of the promotion was deceptive and dishonest, and most citizens
were completely unaware of the impending changes. Those who were at all
aware of it generally believed that it was merely a program to improve
academics, to raise standards of student performance, to improve literacy and get
back to basics

Nothing could have been farther from the truth! In fact, its true purposes were
exactly the opposite. When D Day came, the members of the legislature were
presented with a 900 page bill, the KENTUCKY EDUCATION REFORM ACT (KERA),

9 days before the vote.

As a result of intense lobbying, even more intense political arm-twisting, and
record-breaking sums of money from the pork barrel, most of them voted for the bill
without even reading it. KERA became the law in Kentucky, the traditional
education system was history, local control was gone. Big Brother had arrived,
and most Kentuckians, including the legislators, didn't even know it.

The New World Order Agenda.

The minds, money and political power behind the movement to overhaul
Kentucky's (and all other states') public schools are the same ones behind the
overall push toward the New World Order, with its One- World, socialist
government and its One-World, New Age religion.

As a result of secret planning and collusion by governors of key states,
principally Bill Clinton [then] of Arkansas, Wallace Wilkinson of Kentucky,
Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Thomas Kean of
New Jersey, the push is now on to get all state legislatures to enact the program.

The real power behind the movement is, and has been for a century, the Carnegie
Foundation. Working with it are the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford
Foundation and the teachers' unions ( the NEA [National Education Association]
and the AFT [American Federation of Teachers]). The primary training grounds
for education activist have been colleges of education in left-leaning universities,
particularly Teachers' College of Columbia University.

Key leaders and doctrinal idols have included such as John Dewey, father of
modern education and author of The HUMANIST MANIFESTO, George Counts,
associate of John Dewey at Columbia and author of Dare the Schools Create a
New Social Order?, New Age prophetess Alice Bailey, Marilyn Ferguson, author
of The Aquarian Conspiracy

and globalist educators Robert Muller and Dorothy J. Maver.

Behind it all, thinly concealed, can be found the leaders of the Council on Foreign
Relations with its international bankers and global manipulators, the very same
people who control the key tax-exempt foundations. Many of these men are
Freemasons; many are humanists. Not one is known to be an evangelical
Christian.

These immensely powerful men (and women) really do believe that they alone
know what is best for the World and that it is only right that they and their
friends, the cultural elite, should rule the World. And they intend to rule the
World, using the machinery of the United Nations.

Cooperating happily are the major news media, controlled by the some people,
progressively molding public perceptions. The only real obstacle to their plan is
that most Americans don't want to give up American independence, cancel the
Constitution, abolish the Bible and accept rule by a God-rejecting, World socialist
dictatorship which will tell them what to do and what to think, monitoring and
recording everything they say and do. The American people aren't fools.

In order for these Socialist manipulators to have any hope of success in bringing
to pass their goals of global control, they must somehow eliminate traditional
values and independent thinking in the general population and replace them
with the ideals of global socialistic dictatorship. God, family and country must
somehow be replaced by New Age paganism, state control of children, and the
global community.

These dreamers and schemers have known from the beginning that their goals
could not be reached quickly, that it would take several generations to gradually

weaken traditional values and then replace them. They have been patient, taking
pleasure in their gradual progress; however, it appears that they are now
mobilizing for the final assault, and they smell victory.

These education reform programs have been introduced in bits and pieces for
over a century, creating and promoting educational fads, rewriting history,
discrediting the wisdom of the founding fathers and picking away at our
foundational beliefs and national sovereignty. But now they intend to bring it all
together by the year 2000. All the big guns have been rolled out, all their
resources are being mobilized and the final push is on, nationwide. Their
program is law, or is becoming law, in the several states.

Quietly, powerfully, and contrary to the Constitution, it is also moving through
the U.S. Congress as proposed legislation for the entire nation in both the House
and Senate. On the day of this writing, in late 1993, in the House it is called
Parents as Teachers; in the Senate the Bush Administration's "America 2,000"
program is now called "Goals 2,000."

The School Reform Program in Summary.

Under the reform program the public schools would teach globalism, denounce
national sovereignty, reject absolute standards of right and wrong, de-emphasize
scholastic achievement and emphasize right attitudes (e.g. accepting all lifestyles,
and occult. New Age, religions as normal and good). Individual thinking and
achievement will be out; group thinking and cooperative living will be in.

The teacher will no longer teach, becoming merely a facilitator, allowing the
children to decide what they will do and how they will do it. Traditional
classrooms and grade levels will be abolished, from preschool through high
school, all children will be considered mentally ill at the outset and all will
undergo psychotherapy; there will be a mental health clinic in each school.
Traditional achievement tests, to measure academic knowledge, will be replaced
by assessment tests that will evaluate attitudes and beliefs.

Extensive computerized records (portfolios) will be kept on each child's attitudes
and beliefs, along with snooping

files on the beliefs and attitudes of their parents and teachers. A social worker
will be assigned to each child at birth, will bond with him, teach the parents how
to rear the child and will closely observe the child in the home, to watch for any
wrong beliefs or actions by parents. Disciplining of the child will not be
tolerated. Parents with old fashioned

ideas of right and wrong, Bible beliefs, etc. can have their children taken away
by the State on the basis of emotional child abuse (spanking) in the home.

In the name of freeing the children to think for themselves, they will instead be
indoctrinated with darkness and confusion, controlled by the State. Their
parents, if they attempt to train them up in the way they should go, to rear them
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, will be made criminals.

Aside from the unscriptural, un-American nature of all this, none of it has ever
been tested, yet alone demonstrated to be an improvement. The enormous cost,
of course, will be borne by the parents. As they have their children and their
family lives taken away from them, they will at the same time have to assume the

crushing tax burden necessary to pay for it all. Education bureaucrats, social
workers, mental health clinics and huge computerized record systems don't
come cheap.

Finally, It All Made Sense.

Once I saw that the same people behind the New World Order and its New Age
occult religion are, and have been all along, behind the current movement to
radicalize the public schools, it all made sense. I saw that the only hope they
could ever have to cause Americans to accept their radical Socialist dictatorship
would be to control the education and values of at least one generation of
children, having eliminated the influence of parents and their traditional values.

An entire generation, indoctrinated, watched and controlled by them, is what
they must have in order to succeed. This is why they have been infiltrating the
public schools for so long, and this is why they oppose Christian schools, private
academies and home schooling. If the children aren't in the public school system
they can't be indoctrinated and controlled. It's just that simple.

The Public School Connection.

This, then, is the public school connection. This is why Freemasonry with its
New Age vision for a one-World religion of neo-pagan nature worship promotes
public schools exclusively

This is what New Age prophetess Alice Bailey clearly saw. This is what Mormon
leaders, with their Masonic roots and affiliation, and their New Age vision for a

one-World theocracy, clearly see. This, dear friend of truth, is the public school
connection. I may be wrong; but if there is a better explanation, I haven't found
it.

I Couldn't Have Summarized It Better!

In the September, 1950 issue of New Age magazine, that most influential and
prestigious of Masonic journals, all this was summarized perfectly. In his article,
"God's Plan in America, C. William Smith wrote the following:

"As stated before, God's Plan in America is a nonsectarian plan. Our
Constitution is nonsectarian. Our great American Public Schools . . . God's
chosen schools . . . are nonsectarian. The Great Spirit behind this great
nation is nonsectarian. Our great American Public Schools have never
taken away from any child the freedom of will, freedom of spirit or
freedom of mind. That is the divine reason that Great God our King has
chosen the Great American Public Schools to pave the way for the new
race, the new religion and the new civilization that is taking place in
America.

Any mother, father or guardian who is responsible for the taking away of
freedom of mind, freedom of will or freedom of spirit is the lowest
criminal on this earth, because they take away from that child the God-
given right to become a part of God's great plan in America for the dawn
of the New Age of the world."

What could be more plain? What more could be said to convince you?

Endnotes:

1. Why Public Schools?, Henry C. Clausen , 33 degree. The Supreme Council, 33
degree (Mother Council of the World), Washington, DC, 1979Error!

2. HRT Ministries Newsletter, 3rd Quarter 1990, Newtonville, NY. Interview
with Harmon R. Taylor, Past Grand Chaplain, Grand Lodge of New York, 5 June
1993.

3. Bailey, Alice A.: The Externalization of the Hierarchy, Lucis Press, 1957.

Letter from Tara Center, North Hollywood, California (Marilyn Wilzbach) dtd 9
July 1987 to Keith Harris (Omega Pub), Marion, KY.

4. Handout: Profile of the splinter Group Members or Others with Troublesome
Ideologies, southern Utah Leadership Conference (LDS) on Dealing with
Apostate and Splinter Groups.

CHAPTER FOUR

FREEMASONRY AND
THE NEW AGE WORLD RELIGION
by Dick Smith
681 Stratford Drive
DeLand, FI 32724

MACHU PICCHU IN THE ANDES

As she watched the flickering candle, she felt herself becoming one with the
flame. Suddenly, across the spring in the darkened cavern, she saw David
surrounded by shimmering lights. Even more amazing were the vibrating auras
she saw dancing around the vegetation on the shore of the underground grotto.

All at once she felt herself leaving her body! She floated through the top of the
cave and swept up through the clouds and on beyond the earth itself to the
moon. Trailing behind her she saw a thin silver cord. On past the moon she went,
and on the other side, far out in the darkness of space, she saw a nebula. She
wondered if her silver cord would reach that far; and with that limiting thought,
she felt herself begin traveling back down to earth and on back into her body.

As I viewed Shirley MacLaine's graphic portrayal of her first occult out-of-body
experience, I was truly sickened at heart. I knew millions of others were also
watching that January night back in 1987 as ABC broadcast the second of a two-
part mini-series based on the famous movie star's book Out on a Limb.

Uncounted thousands were being suckered into the New Age by this slick
recruiting effort orchestrated by the PR firm of Lucifer and Associates. A few
minutes earlier, they had seen her guru, David Manning, driving his truck down
a dark mountain road near Machu Picchu in the Andes. As they careened down
the narrow, winding road, David's eyes had been closed and his hands off the
wheel!

He later explained to a shaken Shirley that Mayan, his out-of-this-world girl
friend— a Visitor who had arrived on Flying Saucer Express from the distant star
cluster of the Pleiades— had been driving the truck through remote control using
the "God Energy."

Who can forget the earlier, pathetic scene which shows Shirley and David
standing on the shore of the Pacific shouting at the waves "I am God!" David
finally confesses to Shirley that several months previously Mayan had
commissioned him to recruit Shirley as a spokesperson for the "truths" she was
learning about the New Age and the occult. As a world-famous movie star,
Shirley's influence would be of immense value to The Plan of the "Masters of
Wisdom."

What this plan is really designed to accomplish was certainly not revealed that
night. Nor was it revealed in Shirley's book. But the demons behind it have
revealed parts of their plan to others in the New Age. A plan to establish a New
World Government and a New Age World Religion. It will be, as we'll see, the
Kingdom of the Anti-Christ and Freemasonry will be at it's core.

MASONRY'S "ROYAL SECRET"

On page 861 of Morals and Dogma of The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry, "prepared for the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree, for
the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and Published by its Authority " in
1871, Albert Pike, Masonry's most distinguished authority, concludes his lengthy
and authoritative work with these words:

"The Royal Secret, of which you are a Prince, if you are a true adept... is
that which the Sohar [a book of the Kabalah] terms The Mystery of the
Balance. It is the Secret of the Universal Equilibrium.. ..Such, my Brother, is
the True Word of a Master Mason; such the true Royal Secret, which
makes possible, and shall at length make real, the Holy Empire of true
Masonic Brotherhood." [Albert Pike, p.861. Morals and Dogma; L.H.
Jenkins, Inc., Richmond, Va., 1924],

This statement discloses the ultimate goal of Masonry: to establish what Pike
calls a "Holy Empire." This "empire" is to be a one-world government; it will be
"holy" because it will be ruled by the Princes of the New Age World religion.

This New World Order, Pike says, will be the "true Masonic Brotherhood."

THE GOD OF PHILOSOPHY

Manley P. Hall, 33°, was called "Masonry's Greatest Philosopher," according to
his obituary carried in the 33rd Degree Council 's publication. The Scottish Rite
Journal, in November 1990. "Illustrious Manley Palmer Hall," as they called
him, "received the Scottish Rite's highest honor, the Grand Cross, in 1985 because
of his exceptional contributions to Freemasonry..." they wrote.

In Hall's book Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, published in 1929, Hall indicates
that he, like Pike, sees the "philosophic Elect" of Freemasonry as the future rulers
of a new world Empire. He states that Masonry has yet a "great work" to do: that
of ringing in the New Age, a "more glorious day," which is at hand. He says a
"new day is dawning for Freemasonry." Men are now turning away from "the
insufficiency of theology and the hopelessness of materialism" and "in this new
era wherein the old order is breaking down," men are finally turning to seek "the
God of philosophy."

This will ring in the rule of "the philosophic elect," and result in the
reorganization of society, undoubtedly along Masonic lines. He adds:

"By thus doing his part in the reorganization of society, the workman may
earn his 'wages' as all good Masons should. A new light is breaking in the
East, a more glorious day is at hand. The rule of the philosophic elect— the
dream of the ages— will yet be realized and is not far distant. To her loyal
sons. Freemasonry sends this clarion call: 'Arise ye, the day of labor is at
hand; the Great Work awaits completion...' [They are] the Master
Craftsmen of the universe!" [Manley P. Hall, p. 417, Lectures on Ancient
Philosophy; The Hall Publishing Co., Los Angeles, 1929].

THE NEW AGE-MASONIC CONNECTION

While I've never been a Mason, until 1976 I was involved in the same occult
philosophy, or Secret Doctrine, which lies at the root of both Freemasonry and
the New Age Movement. I had long been aware of the occult nature of Masonry.

But back in 1987, while doing extensive research into the works of New Agers
and other occultists for an article on the New Age Movement, I was struck by
their frequent statements about Masonry.

As we look at how Freemasonry is to help restore the occult Mystery Religions
and Initiation ceremonies of ancient times, keep in mind that nearly all those in
Masonry and the New Age Movement are involved for what they think are good
motives. Unfortunately, they are being deceived by one "who appears, as it were,
as an angel of light."

But is there really a connection between Freemasonry and the New Age
Movement, as we claim? If so, what is this connection? What are the
characteristics of the coming New Age World Religion? Is Masonry really based
on occult, mystic rites of ancient, pagan Mystery Religions? What role is
Freemasonry to play in the unveiling of the New Age World System? To answer
these questions, we'll look to the authorities of both Masonry and the New Age
Movement.

THE NEW AGE QUEEN

Alice A. Bailey is well known to anyone who has even only a slight knowledge of
the New Age Movement. She has been called "The New Age Queen." Indeed,
she is the key figure this century in disclosing details of The Plan to institute on
earth the rule of the so-called "Masters of Wisdom."

Details of this plan were unveiled to Helena Petrovena Blavatsky who wrote ISIS
Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine in the latter part of the last century. H.P.B.,

as she's called for short- -for obvious reasons— also founded the Theosophical
Society. These books were supposedly "transmitted" to her by mental telepathy
from one of the "Masters of Wisdom" of the Great White Brotherhood, Djwhal
Khul, or "DK". This is the same demon— masquerading as a "Master"— who gave
Alice A. Bailey her revelations in this century. (We'll learn more about H.P.B and
DK shortly.)

As the recipient of DK's telepathic transmissions in the first half of this century,
Alice Bailey wrote many books on a variety of occult topics relating to the
unfolding of The Plan.

A key part of this plan calls for establishing a New World Religion which is to be
based on the Mystery Religions of Ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome and
other pagan nations of the past. Alice A. Bailey explains for us their origin and
significance:

"These ancient mysteries were originally given to humanity by the
Hierarchy, and were— in their turn— received by the Hierarchy from the
Great White Lodge on Sirius. They contain the clue to the evolutionary
process, hidden in number and words ...they veil the secret of man's origin
and destiny." [Alice A. Bailey, p. 330, The RAYS AND THE INITIATIONS;
Lucis Publishing Co., New York, 1955; excerpted in a compilation of
selections from her works, PONDER ON THIS, p. 15; Lucis, etc., 1980].

We'll look at the New Age concepts of "the Hierarchy" and, yes, you read it right-
-a Masonic Lodge on the star Sirius— shortly. But first, let's get a better
understanding of something that will play a major role in the coming New Age

World Religion and, therefore, in the following pages— the "Mysteries," or
"Mystery religions." Mystery Religions are defined by The New Columbia
Encyclopedia like this:

"In Greek and Roman religion, some important secret cults. ...Although
the mystic rites were kept secret, it was known that they required
elaborate initiations, including... accepting occult knowledge, and acting
out a sacred drama... Since the mystery deities were associated primarily
with fertility, many scholars believe that these cults were based on
unrecorded primitive fertility rites." [The New COLUMBIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA, Columbia University Press, New York and London, 4th
ed„ 1975],

Of course, Satan's true goal regarding what Bailey has hinted at as man's
"destiny" is to enslave him in his one world religion and his visible, or
"externalized," kingdom on the earth, which will restore to mankind these
Mysteries, including their "sacred drama."

MAN'S GODHOOD

To some, talking about Satan as if he actually existed is a sign of mental
retardation. But New Agers who write about visitors from space and Masonic
Lodges on Sirius are not psychos, but are among the world's elite. People such as
H.G. Wells, Buckminister Fuller, Norman Cousins, Dr. Carlos Romulo, Theodore
M. Hesburgh, John Denver, Robert Eleilbroner, Alvin Toffler, Mohandas
Gandhi, U. Thant, Robert Mueller, and Shirley MacLaine are not (or, were not)

exactly street people. Their strange beliefs put them in agreement with hundreds
of millions of others in the Eastern religions of the world.

These New Agers believe that Man is about to experience a new step in
evolution. As a new, "higher" life form. He will need a new religious system in
which to express this next stage on His way to Godhood. To accomplish this.
Eastern and Western religions are converging, they believe, and a new one world
religion (a synthesis of the two systems) is just over the horizon. This new
religion will be based on the mysticism of the great Eastern religions.

But New Agers aren't the only ones promoting this concept! So are top
Freemasons! Henry Clausen, former Sovereign Grand Commander of the
Supreme Council, 33°, Mother Council of World Freemasonry, is one who also
has proclaimed this idea. In EMERGENCE OF THE MYSTICAL, written while he was
the highest Mason in the land, he talks about the coming New Age and its
relationship with the mysticism of Eastern religions. He states:

"Today we are at the threshold of a new era. All signs point to this fact...
We look toward a transformation into a New Age using, however, the
insight and wisdom of the ancient mystic. This new world view is
emerging because there has been a recent correlation between modern
physics and the mysticism of Eastern religions." [Henry C. Clausen,
Emergence of the Mystical; The Supreme Council 33rd Degree, Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S. A. ;
Copyright 1981 by The Supreme Council , Mother Council of the World],

Before continuing, let's make sure we understand exactly what this term
"mysticism" means. According to The New Columbia Encyclopedia, Mysticism is
"The practice of... magic, occultism, or the esoteric.. .included in the mystic
tradition were the Hermetic philosophers and the Alchemists." A Mystic is "one
who practices mysticism, i.e., magic, occultism, witchcraft."

Now go back and re-read Clausen's statement, perhaps now with a little more
enlightenment. Keep these definitions in mind. You'll encounter them constantly
in New Age and Masonic writings. It is not surprising to find high initiates— the
princes and adepts— of Freemasonry promoting New Age ideas. Indeed, New
Age authorities refer frequently to Freemasonry and its role down through the
centuries in preserving the occult Mystery Religions of ancient days and so do
the leaders of Freemasonry.

THAT OL' TIME RELIGION

The revival of this "ol’ time religion" is, of course, being touted as a "religion for
a New Age." But it has an old familiar ring— or should we say "smell"— to it. The
smell of sulfur!

This "new" religion is in fact as old as the Garden of Eden, where Satan brought
about the fall of man. It flowered at Babylon, bloomed in Egypt with the sun god
Osiris and the moon goddess Isis, and is alive today in the Hindu religion, other
Eastern religions, and Western religions such as Unity, Christian Science,
Unitarianism, New Thought, Spiritualism, and Mormonism. At also lives on in
the Lodges, Dogma and Rites of Freemasonry.

I'm sure very few new Masons have realized that they were being initiated into
an organization which— in spite of its recent public relations pronouncements to
the contrary— considers itself the present day embodiment of these Mystery
Religions. But that this is the case is attested to by numerous New Agers and
Masonic scholars, including Alice A. Bailey's husband, Foster, a 33rd Degree
Mason:

"Masonry is the descendent of, or is founded upon, a divinely imparted
religion which long antedates the prime date of creation as given in our
Bible. [It] is all that remains to us of the first world religion which
flourished in an antiquity so old that it is impossible to affix a date. It was
the first unified world religion... To this, such symbols as the pyramids,
both in Egypt and South America, bear witness... the ancient Mysteries
were temporary custodians of the ancient truth and closely allied to the
Masonic work of today. ..The relation of the Mysteries to Masonry has oft
been recognized, and the golden thread of living continuity can be traced
through them to modern Masonry. The Mysteries... are all parts of that
ancient thread which has its origin in that primeval religion which
terminates today in Masonry." [Foster Bailey, 33° , pp. 30-32 , The SPIRIT
OF MASONRY; Lucis Press Ltd; Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England; 1957],

"Masonry is regarded as the direct descendant, or as a survival of the
mysteries... of Isis and Osiris in Egypt..." [Robert Freke Gould, Past Senior
Grand Deacon of England, Vol. 1, p. 13, EIlSTORY OF FREEMASONRY; New
York, 1884],

"The signs, symbols and inscriptions date from. ..the Sumerian
civilizations. ..Chaldea [Babylon], Assyria, Greece, Rome and even in
Mexico and Yucatan.. .some rites of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of our
Mother Jurisdiction have been in existence from time immemorial. For we
teach the same grand truths, the same sublime philosophies... as those
adepts of the ancient mysteries taught in their esoteric rites." [Flenry C.
Clausen, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, The Supreme Council 33°,
A&ARFM, Mother Jurisdiction of the World, pp. 5-7, MESSAGES FOR A
Mission, 1971],

Note that Clausen, when he was the highest Mason in the land, stated
unequivocally that "we teach the same grand truths, the same sublime
philosophies. ..as those adepts of the ancient mysteries taught in their esoteric
rites."

The New Age Movement and Masonry are, in my opinion, the major vehicles
Lucifer is using to bring about his externalized kingdom on earth, which will be
a revival of the Mystery Religions of Babylon and other ancient nations.

These occult doctrines of Mystery Babylon can be traced back to the period after
the flood when Babylon's first king, Nimrod, and his queen, Semiramis,
established the Mystery Religion that spread into Persia, Egypt, Greece, and
other nations which set up secret brotherhoods of initiated magicians and Priests.

They worshiped the sun and the moon as the universal principles of generation.
The sun was the Male, or Active principle, and the moon the Female, or Passive
principle. These were symbolized by the sexual organs of the male and female--

and their sexual union. This pagan phallic worship was central to the universal
religion practiced by virtually all mankind in ancient days.

As part of the initiation rites for their temple worship, all these nations celebrated
a common mystery drama, perhaps with different names and stories, but with a
similar plot.

MYSTERY PLAY OF THE SUN AND THE MOON

This drama told about the death of an individual (who represented the sun) at
the hands of three ruffians (the three winter months); the cutting into parts of the
body and the dispersion of these body parts; the search by the wife (representing
the moon) who found all the parts except the phallus; her substituting a wooden
phallus for the lost one; and his (the sun's) resurrection at the vernal equinox.

This story— the Isis legend— was part of the general religion practiced by mankind
in ancient days; a pagan, nature religion— the worship of the sun, moon and
starry hosts. According to the highest Masonic authorities, this is the same story
preserved down to this day in the symbols and rites of Freemasonry!

The plot of the Masonic version is part of the initiation ceremony for the Third,
or Master Mason, Degree. It involves the supposed death of Hiram Abiff— who is
said to have built Solomon's Temple— at the hands of three ruffians; a search for
his body; the loss of a "secret word;" and the substitution of a new word for the
"lost" one. This new word is an amalgamation of the names of three sun gods,
and thus relates to the active (or male) principle, i.e., the phallus. At the climax of
the Drama, Hiram is resurrected to new life.

The New Age Movement seeks to restore to all mankind this mystery play along
with the process of Initiation. Initiation into a New Age. A Luciferic Initiation
which will, they say, take place in Masonic temples as part of the New Age
World Religion, which will restore the ancient Mysteries.

Today, according to Freemasonry's most distinguished authorities, the occult
secrets of these Mystery Religions are embedded in the symbols and rites of
Freemasonry. If this is true, it follows that Freemasonry, itself, must be a religion.
If Freemasonry is a religion, what kind of religion is it?

MASONIC AUTHORITIES

Chief among Freemasonry's distinguished authorities is Albert Pike. Before
looking at what Pike said about this, we should point out that, despite what
Masonic leaders claim today-- that Pike is just one of many Masonic writers of
the past and deserves no special attention— the truth is that Pike was and is
Scottish Rite Masonry's highest authority. The word authority is based on the
word autho and Pike is the one who authored the Scottish Rite as practiced
today.

Joseph Fort Newton, one of this centuries' most noted Masonic authorities, in his
book. The BUILDERS, captions a full page picture of Pike with these words:

"Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, 33° , Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. from 1859 to his
death in 1891. He recast the old Scottish Rite rituals and brought them to

their present state of beauty and perfection." [Joseph Fort Newton, The
BUILDERS; Macoy Publishing and Supply Co., Inc., Richmond, Va., 1944],

Note that he states Pike brought the rituals "to their present state of... perfection."
In addition. Pike was an honorary member of virtually every Grand Lodge on
earth. He is the only Masonic authority to be given the honor of being entombed
in the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. Manly P. Hall, in his book,
LECTURES ON Ancient Philosophy, quotes another high ranking Mason who
eulogized Pike:

"To Pike the following remarkable tribute was paid by Sterling Kerr, Jr.,
330, Deputy for the Inspector-General for the District of Columbia, upon
crowning with laurel the bust of Pike in the House of the Temple: Tike
was an oracle greater than that of Delphi. He was Truth's minister and
priest. His victories were those of peace. Long may his memory live in the
hearts of the Brethren.'"

Then Hall adds some high praise of his own, stating that Pike was single-
handedly responsible for making Freemasonry the most powerful organization
in America:

"Affectionately termed 'Albertus Magnus' by his admirers. Pike wrote of
Hermeticsm and alchemy and hinted at the Mysteries of the Temple.
Through his zeal and unflagging energy, American Freemasonry was
raised from comparative obscurity to become the most powerful
organization in the land." [Hall, p. 414],

So much for the claim that Albert Pike's works are not really authoritative! I'll
state it again: Pike is the authority on the Scottish Rite: he's the one who wrote
it! He also wrote the book containing the philosophy that underlies the Scottish
Rite, Morals and Dogma.

What did Albert Pike say about Masonry as a religion? This is an important
question. Since we are saying that Freemasonry is to be at the core of the New
Age World religion, it's obvious that Freemasonry, itself, must be clearly seen to
be a religion.

MASONRY IS A RELIGION

But the claim is being made repeatedly today by the 33rd Degree Council that
Freemasonry is not a religion. But could we expect to get the truth about these
matters from any Mason? For every Mason has sworn upon penalty of his own
death not to reveal secrets of the order to anyone who is "not entitled to them."

To do so would bring upon this Mason a death sentence according to his own
sworn oaths.

Indeed, most Masons will loudly deny their Brotherhood is a religion. This is
especially true of Masons who profess to be Christians. To settle this question,
let's look at what Masonry's highest authorities state about this issue.

In Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of

FREEMASONRY, Grand Commander and Prince Adept Albert Pike clearly
identifies Freemasonry as an occult religion, the universal religion of all mankind

since the beginning of time. He says, "Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of
religion; and its teachings are instructions in religion." [Pike, p. 213].

Before looking at what else Pike had to say about Masonry as a religion, let's
establish the authority of another of these men, Albert G. Mackey. Frequently
when we quote figures such as Pike and Mackey, some Masons respond with
something like: "Well, that's just their opinion. Anyway, I never heard of these
guys before."

After a recent appearance on a 90 minute radio call-in show in Orlando, for
example, I had about 40 calls after the show, many from Masons. One of them
wanted to know where I got all the information I was quoting. I told him from
Albert G. Mackey and Albert Pike, and asked him if he'd ever heard of them. He
said he thought he'd heard of Mackey, but didn't recognize Pike's name. After I
mentioned that Pike had written Morals and Dogma, he suddenly remembered
that he had the book, but "it's put away somewhere. It'd take a year to read that
thing!" Another Mason called and stated, "I'm probably the only man alive who
has read Pike through twice."

But these two Masonic writers, over the past 100 years, have been the major
authorities recognized worldwide by Freemasonry. However, today many rank
and file Masons say they've never heard of Albert Pike or Albert G. Mackey.

The typical Mason, if he reads any Masonic materials at all, gets much of his
information about Masonry from a section in his Masonic Bible containing
questions and answers on Masonry. This typical Mason never bothers looking
further into what the organization believes in the more esoteric areas.

In fact, the introduction to this section, called Questions and Answers, One
Hundred and Sixty Questions and Answers ...Pertaining to the Symbolism of
Masonry and its Connection with the Bible, states: "The following questions and
answers are intended to convey to the average Mason the information every
Mason desires without taking the time to do the research." [The Holy Bible, A. J.
Holman Co., Philadelphia; 1962],

The interesting point here is that, according to the credit line, which is part of the
title of this section, the source for this information is a name most Masons claim
they've never heard of. It reads: "...compiled from the works of Albert G.
Mackey..." So these "average" Masons who say they've never heard of Mackey,
but who accept this section of the Masonic Bible as authoritative, do not realize
that this authority is based primarily on the authority of Mackey!

MACKEY SAYS MASONRY A RELIGION
BUT NOT CHRISTIANITY

Indeed, Dr. Albert G. Mackey literally "wrote the book" on Freemasonry; he is the
author of the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY, published in 1879. Mackey was
Past General High Priest and Secretary General of the Supreme Council 33° for
the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S., which takes in 35 of the fifty states. He
spent more than ten years writing this encyclopedia. It has been considered one
of the top two authoritative works on Masonry. (The other is Albert Pike's
Morals and Dogma.)

In this encyclopedia, Mackey clearly identifies Freemasonry as a religion, and he
categorically states it's not Christianity:

"Freemasonry is a religious institution, and hence its regulations inculcate
the use of prayer as a proper tribute of gratitude to the beneficent Author
of life." [Albert Mackey, p. 594; Encyclopedia of Freemasonry; The
Masonic Flistory Co., 1924],

"The religion of Masonry is non-sectarian. It admits men of every creed
within its hospitable bosom. It is not Judaism, though there is nothing to
offend the Jew. It is not Christianity, but there is nothing in it repugnant to
the faith of a Christian." [Mackey, p. 641],

"Freemasonry is not Christianity, nor a substitute for it. It does not meddle
with sectarian creeds or doctrines, but teaches fundamental religious
truth." [Mackey, p. 162],

Is Masonry a religion? Mackey says "yes." Is it Christian? Mackey says "no."
Therefore, if Masonry is a religion, and it is not the religion of Christianity,
Masonry is not a Christian religion! Every Christian Mason, who claims it is
Christianity, is either completely deceived or is a Christian in name only and
needs to get saved.

Indeed, according to Billy Graham and two former Presidents of the Southern
Baptist Convention, up to 90 percent of our church members are not born again!
Charles G. Finney, known as "the greatest preacher, theologian and evangelist of
the nineteenth century," who was a Mason for a short time, stated:

"Surely, if a Mason really understood what Masonry is, as delineated in
these books, no Christian Mason would think himself at liberty to remain
another day in the fraternity... It is as plain as possible that a man,
knowing what it is, and embracing it in his heart, cannot be a Christian
man. To say he can is to belie the very nature of Christianity." (Emphasis
in original.) [Charles G. Finney, p. 60, The Antichrist or the Masonic
Society; Crown Publications; Burlington, Ontario, Canada; 1984],

TWO RELIGIONS

Let's pause for a moment to get a better understanding of the fact that there have
been, and are, only two basic religions. These two are first. Paganism, which
incorporates the Mystery Religions, Eastern religions. Freemasonry, the New
Age Movement, etc., and second, Judaism which is the "mother" of both
Christianity and Islam.

In his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert Mackey gives us a better
understanding of this concept. He writes, under the heading Paganism,

"A general appellation for the religious worship of the whole human race,
except for that portion which has embraced Christianity, Judaism, or
Mohammedanism. Its interest to the Masonic student arises from the fact
that its principal development was the ancient mythology, in whose
traditions are to be found many interesting analogies with the Masonic
system."

The understanding that all religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
have their common source in Lucifer's pagan, occult Mystery Religions, should
help us place Freemasonry in its proper category. That category is definitely not
in the Judeo-Christian camp!

These pagan religions and the New Age Movement share the same Luciferic
source as well as the same goal: establishment of a New Age World Religion.
Freemasonry, according to its most distinguished authority, was "mother" to all
these pagan religions!

"Much of the Masonic secret manifests itself... particularly to those who
advance to the highest Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
That Rite raises a corner of the veil, even in the Degree of Apprentice; for
it there declares that Masonry is worship.

It is the universal, eternal, immutable religion such as God planted in the
heart of universal humanity. No creed has ever been long-lived that was
not built on this foundation. ...The ministers of this religion are all Masons
who comprehend it and are devoted to it." [Pike, pp. 218-19]

As you read Pike's comments, keep in mind that they were prepared for the
Southern Jurisdiction of the United States and "published by its authority." In
other words, this is the official doctrine of Freemasonry, not what some local
lodge officials might claim. Or what the current 33rd Degree Council might try to
lie about.

MASONRY A UNIVERSAL RELIGION

Both of Masonry's highest authorities during the past 100 years clearly state that
Masonry is a religion, complete with a religious creed--" worship." But just what
kind of religion is Masonry?

Like Mackey, Pike says the religion of Masonry is not Christianity, but is a
universal religion which makes a Mason the "brother" of every other Mason on
earth, bound together with these "brothers" from other religions under an
"imperative obligation of a contract":

"Masonry propagates no creed except its own most simple and Sublime
one; that universal religion, taught by Nature and by Reason. Its lodges are
neither Jewish, Moslem, nor Christian temples. It reiterates the precepts
and morality of all religions."

"The Moral Code of Masonry is still more extensive than that developed by
philosophy. To the requisitions of the law of Nature and the law of God, it
adds the imperative obligation of a contract. Upon entering the Order, the
Initiate binds to himself every other Mason in the world. Once enrolled
among the children of Light, every Mason on earth becomes his brother."
[Pike, pp. 718-19; 726]

Then, how can a Christian belong to such an organization? After all, God's Word
clearly commands us not to be "yoked together with unbelievers." But a
Christian Mason "binds himself to every other Mason in the world. ..every Mason
on earth becomes his brother."

As Finney said, any Christian who truly understands what Masonry really is
could not stay another day in such a pagan cult! But most Masons— perhaps 99%
of them— have no conception of the true nature of their fraternity. They have
never bothered to study the works of Masonry's highest authorities such as
Albert Pike, Albert Mackey and Manley P. Hall. These reveal that the
organization is made up of an outer fraternity whose members are deliberately
misled about Masonry's symbols and dogmas, and by an occult inner
brotherhood of adepts versed in magic, witchcraft and the Mystery Religions of
the ancient world.

Most Masons are not only unaware of the true nature of their fraternity, they
have no idea they are being deliberately deceived by the craft. As admitted by
Pike:

"The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of
the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally
misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand
them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of
Masonry... It is well enough for the mass of those called Masons, to
imagine that all is contained in the Blue degrees; and whoso attempts to
undeceive them will labor in vain... There must always be common-place
interpretations for the mass of Initiates, of the symbols that are eloquent to
the Adepts." (Pike, pp. 818-19.)

But Pike is not the only Masonic authority to disclose this slight-of-hand.
"Illustrious" Manley P. Hall, who was eulogized by the Scottish Rite Journal as

the fraternity's greatest philosopher, stated in his book, LECTURES ON ANCIENT
Philosophy:

"Freemasonry is a fraternity within a fraternity— an outer organization
concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect... two separate yet
interdependent orders, the one visible and the other invisible... The
invisible society is a secret and most august fraternity whose members are
dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcanum arcanorum... that truly
secret inner society which is to the body Freemasonic what the heart is to
the human body." [Hall, p. 397],

MASONIC MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT

What is this "mysterious arcanum arcanorum" which "illustrious Manley Palmer
Hall" has described as being the subject of the invisible societies' dedicated
service? What is the true "work" of the secret, inner organization? Pike, who
wrote the Scottish Rite, and "Illustrious" Manley Hall, it's "greatest Philosopher,"
say that Masonry's true work is magic and witchcraft! According to Pike,

"The Hermetic Science. ..embodied in certain symbols of the higher
Degrees of Freemasonry, may be accurately defined as the Kabalah in
active realization, or the Magic of the Works." [Pike, p. 840].

Hall, after lamenting the fact that not all Masons are happy with this occult
heritage, states that he can't see how anyone, after reading Pike's great work, can
deny that Freemasonry is "identical" to the Mystery Religions:

"Even the casual observer must realize that the true wealth of
Freemasonry lies in its mysticism... It is quite incredible, moreover, that
any initiated brother, when presented with a copy of Morals and Dogma
upon conferment of his fourteenth degree, can read that volume and yet
maintain that his order is not identical to the Mystery Schools of the first
ages." [Hall, p. 413],

As a former occultist, I recognize much of Pike's writings as coming from the
same occult revelation given to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in Isis Unveiled and
The Secret Doctrine. "Illustrious" Manley P. Hall also recognizes Pike's works as
being similar to those of other occultists:

"Much of the writings of Albert Pike are extracted from the books of the
French magician, Eliphas Eevi, one of the greatest transcendentalists of
modern times. Eevi was an occultist, a metaphysician, a Platonic
philosopher, who by the rituals of magic invoked even the spirit of
Apollonius of Tyana, and yet Pike has inserted in his Morals and Dogma
whole pages, and even chapters, practically verbatim." [Hall, pp. 413-14],

Let me again point out that we're talking about a work, MORALS AND DOGMA,
that was prepared for and published by the greatest Masonic jurisdiction in
America. In addition to Pike and Hall, Alice Bailey's husband, Foster, a 33rd
degree Mason, also writes about the New Age-Masonic connection as it relates to
magic in his book THE SPIRIT OF MASONRY:

"It is the creative nature of the Masonic work... to work, say and think the
same thing simultaneously... [T]he concentrated attention and thought

power of the assembled Masons... is in reality a group meditation, leading
to group work... Masonry in its true and highest sense is magical work...
The effectiveness of this possible work will be paralleled by the increasing
sensitivity of the race to telepathic impression." [F. Bailey, pp. 96-98].

"Behind the magical work of the rituals must be the influence of the
established rhythm... The materializing upon earth of the mystical vision...
must be brought about by the wise working of this law of rhythm and of
ritual." [F. Bailey, p. 99]. But wait— it gets even worse.

PIKE SAYS CHRISTIANITY SHOULD NOT HAVE HATED MAGIC

As we've seen. Pike has said Masonry at its core is based on the magic of the
Kabalah. But Pike says that it was necessary for this knowledge to be concealed
from "the profane." He states that this "occult philosophy seems to have been the
nurse or godmother of all religions, the secret lever of all the intellectual forces:"

"This is what magic had been, from Zoroaster to Manes, from Orpheus to
Apollonius Thayaneus; when positive Christianity, triumphing over the splendid
dreams and gigantic aspirations of the school of Alexandria, publicly crushed
this philosophy with its anathemas, and compelled it to become more occult and
more mysterious than ever.

At the bottom of magic, nevertheless, was science. Christianity should not have
hated magic; but human ignorance always fears the unknown. But since
Christianity did abhor magic, the magicians resorted to inventing Masonic
degrees to hide the secrets of their witchcraft:

"Resorting to Masonry, the alchemists there invented Degrees, and partly
unveiled their doctrine to the Initiates... by oral instruction afterward; for
their rituals, to one who has not the key, are but incomprehensible and
absurd jargon." [Pike, pp. 730-31].

Next Pike lets the Magic-hating Christians have it broadside, calling them
"dunces" who sought to exterminate magic:

"The dunces who led primitive Christianity astray.. .who for so many ages
waged war against Magism, a war of extermination, have succeeded in
shrouding in darkness the ancient discoveries of the human mind; so that
we now grope in the dark to find again the key of the phenomena of
nature." [Pike, p. 732]

This is so blatant a description of Lucifer's battle with God, who declared "suffer
not a witch to live," that it clearly draws the dividing line for us. On one side we
have the Satanic Mystery religions embedded now in the highest rites and
symbols of Masonry, and on the other side, "the dunces" of Christianity.

Can any Christian member of the Masonic Order maintain that this is a Christian
organization after reading this blasphemy of God?

THE GREAT WORK: WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC

Among other things. Pike has just described Masonry as searching for "the key of
the phenomena of nature." This is a classic definition of witchcraft. But you need

not take my word for it, because Pike continues on the following pages to clearly
say so:

"There is in nature one most potent force, by means whereof a single man,
who could possess himself of it, and should know how to direct it, could
revolutionize and change the face of the world. This force was known to
the ancients. It is a universal agent... if science can but learn to control it, it
will be possible to change the order of the seasons, to produce in night the
phenomena of day, to send a thought in an instant around the world, to
heal or slay at a distance, to give our words universal success, and make
them reverberate everywhere.

This agent, partially revealed by the blind guesses of the disciple of
Mesmer, is precisely what the Adepts of the middle ages called the
elementary matter of the great work... it was adored in the secret rites of
the Sabbat or the Temple, under the hieroglyphic figure of Baphomet or
the hermaphroditic goat of Mendes." [Pike, p. 734],

If you still have doubts, look up the meaning and origin of Baphomet and the
goat of Mendes. They are forms of Satan, himself, and a Sabbat is "an assembly
or celebration of witches or other occultists, usually held on astrologically
significant days and hours." [Kent Philpott, A MANUAL OF DEMONOLOGY AND
THE OCCULT, p. 160; Zonderavan; Grand Rapids, Mich.].

You also need to understand that the terms witch, magician, sorcerer, and wizard
all mean the same thing. "A magician engages in magic, or witchcraft; the terms
are synonymous." [ibid., p. 163].

Still not convinced? Read some more of what Pike has to say about "the great
work," the universal term for witchcraft:

"Whoever shall learn to comprehend and execute this great work, will
know great things, say the sages of the work; but whenever you depart
from the centre of the Square and the Compass you will no longer be able
to work with success.

Another Jewel is necessary for you, and in certain undertakings cannot be
dispensed with. It is what is termed the Kabalistic pantacle... This carries
with it the power of commanding the spirits of the elements." [Pike, pp.
786-87],

But many Masons will tell you that all this talk about commanding spirits and
the like is just symbolic. However, Pike cautions against reading Masonic works
too quickly, or believing what you may have been told that what you read is only
symbolic; for, he says, that's when you are most deceived:

"If you would understand the true secrets of Alchemy, you must study the
works of the Masters with patience and assiduity. Every word is often an
enigma; and to him who reads in haste, the whole may seem absurd. Even
when they seem to teach that the great work is purification of the soul,
and so to deal only with morals, they most conceal their meaning and
deceive all but the initiates." [Pike, p. 792],

Masons also contend that Masonry is just an organization which "makes good
men better/' that it's all aimed at symbolically building a temple for the inward
dwelling of God. But, if this is your belief, read again the previous statement by
Pike, and discern finally that you are a victim of deliberate deceit. Today, the
33rd Degree Council has even denied that Masonry is related in any way with
the occult Mysteries. Such a denial is preposterous on its face!

FREEMASONRY AND THE MYSTERIES

Here's how Pike characterized Masonry's occult heritage on page 639 of Morals
And Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: "The
Occult Science of the Ancient Magi was concealed under the shadows of the
Ancient Mysteries... and it is found enveloped in the enigmas that seem
impenetrable, in the Rites of the Highest Masonry."

If the "Occult Science of the Ancient Magi[cians]" was incorporated into the
"Ancient Mysteries," and if this "Occult Science" is now "found enveloped in.. .the
Rites of the Highest Masonry," then this statement by the author of the current
version of those rites should be adequate to document the claim that Masonry is
the repository of the occult heritage of the Mysteries that are to be reinstated for
the New Age World Religion. This New Age World Religion, we are told, is to
be inaugurated by the return to earth of "The Christ."

RETURN OF "THE CHRIST"

Benjamin Creme is a major New Age leader, the "John-the-Baptist" for the New
Age Christ, the Lord Maitraya, who Creme says is already in the world simply
waiting for the right time to manifest his presence.

In The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, Creme reveals
that Masonry will play an important part in the return of "the Christ," (whom
Christians would call "the Anti-Christ") especially in the initiation ritual for the
New Age religion. He states:

"Through the Masonic tradition and certain esoteric groups, will come the
process of initiation. In this coming age millions of people will take the
first and second initiation through these transformed and purified
institutions." [Benjamin Creme, The REAPPEARANCE OF THE CHRIST AND
THE Masters of Wisdom, p. 84; The Tara Press; London, 1980].

In a section of his book containing transcripts of his many lectures— including
question and answer sessions— after speaking about the coming reformation of
the churches and Buddhism, he's asked if he believes this reformation "will affect
the various secret organizations, like the Masons, the Rosicrucians, and so on?"
He answers:

"Very much so... the coming religion, in fact this coming age, will be
dominated by... Magic, or Ritual, or Organization... Aquarius has been
called The implementing force of synthesis or universality,' and will bring
about synthesis, universality, in the world..." [Creme, p. 86].

Note the theme of conjunction, that is, "synthesis or universality." You'll recall
that Pike has said this is Masonry's "Royal Secret." You'll encounter this concept
of "mixture" repeatedly in the writings of New Age and Masonic authorities.
Creme next tells us how the newly synthesized religions will be manifested:

"The new religions will manifest, for instance, through organizations like
Freemasonry. In Freemasonry is embedded the core of the secret heart of
the occult mysteries— wrapped up in number, metaphor and symbol.
When these are purified... these will be seen to be a true occult heritage.
Through the Orders of Masonry, the Initiatory Path will be trodden and
Initiation will be taken..." [Creme, p. 87],

So not only will the Mystery Religion be restored, but so will the process of
Initiation. Creme says, reiterating the theme of our earlier authorities, this new
religion will be universal— a conjunction of the East and West:

"A new world religion will be inaugurated which will be a fusion and
synthesis of the approach of the East and the approach of the West. The
Christ will bring together... Christianity and Buddhism... in a new
scientific religion based on the Mysteries; on Initiation; on Invocation... The
very heart and core of the new world religion will be the esoteric process
of Initiation... gradually, Christianity and Buddhism and other religions
will wither away... as the new religion gains its adherents and exponents,
and is gradually built by humanity." [Creme, pp. 88-89].

So pervasive is the application of the universal principle of dialectics
(conjunction, balance, opposites) that Creme even says the "other religions will

wither away"— just as in Marxist theory, the State is supposed to "wither away"
and be replaced by true "Communism."

NEW AGE LUCIFERIC INITIATION

Another of the New Age Movement's major figures, David Spangler, in
REFLECTIONS of THE Christ, reveals the true identity of this "Christ," or Lord
Maitreya. He says: "Christ is the same force as Lucifer.. .Lucifer works within
each of us to bring us to wholeness as we move into the New Age." Then he tells
us what kind of initiation will be administered through the Orders of Masonry:

"The light that reveals to us the path to Christ comes from Lucifer... the
great initiator... Lucifer comes to give us the final Luciferic initiation... that
many people in the days ahead will be facing, for it is an invitation into
the New Age." [David Spangler, pp. 40-44, REFLECTIONS OF THE CHRIST;
Findhorn; Scotland, 1977],

So, according to top New Age leaders, the new universal religion will manifest
through organizations like Masonry, and initiation into the New Age will take
place in Masonic Temples.

BLAVATSKY'S SECRET DOCTRINE
AND THE NEW WORLD RELIGION

But other New Age authorities have also stated that Masonry is a universal
religion and is a repository of the Occult Secret Doctrine of the Mysteries. In fact,
one of the world's most occult books is loaded with references to Masonry.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, in her introduction to volume one of The SECRET
Doctrine, summarizes for us the nature of the secret doctrine and reveals its
tie-in with Masonry:

"The Secret Doctrine was the universally diffused religion of the ancient
and prehistoric world. Proofs of its diffusion... together with the teaching
of all its great adepts, exist to this day in the secret crypts of libraries
belonging to the Occult Fraternity." [Helena P. Blavatsky, p. xxxiv. The
SECRET Doctrine; Theosophical University Press, 1888].

"There are several documents in the St. Petersburg Imperial Libraries to
show that, even so late as during the days when Freemasonry, and Secret
Societies of Mystics flourished unimpeded in Russia more than one
Russian Mystic traveled to Tibet via the Ural mountains in search of
knowledge and initiation.... Let any one look over the Annals and History
of Freemasonry in the archives of the Russian metropolis, and he will
assure himself of the fact stated." [H.P.B., pp. xxxv-vi].

We could spend much time exploring H.P.B.'s anti-Christian dogma, which
makes Jehovah the villain (Christians are the "Black Lodge") and Lucifer the hero
(the "White Lodge.") But we get the same doctrine in Pike's work!

MASONRY'S GOD NOT JEHOVAH

In his discussion of The Royal Arch degree in Morals and Dogma, for example.
Pike reveals the true nature of Masonry's god-- and it's not Jehovah. Please read
the following slowly and carefully:

"We know that for many centuries, the Hebrews have been forbidden to
pronounce the Sacred Name... In India it was forbidden to pronounce the
word Aum or Om, the Sacred Name of the One Deity, manifested as
Brahma, Vishnu, and Seeva. ...It was, therefore, possible for that of the
name of Deity to have been forgotten or lost. It is certain that its true
pronunciation is not that represented by the word Jehovah; and therefore
that is not the true name of Deity, nor the Ineffable Word." [Pike, pp. 204-
OS].

Pike says that the communication of the "true nature of God" in the ancient
mysteries is what we now call Masonry:

"Among all the ancient nations there was one faith and one idea of Deity
for the enlightened, intelligent, and educated, and another for the
common people. To this rule the Hebrews were no exception. Yehovah, to
the mass of the people, was like the gods of the nations around them... The
Deity of the early Hebrews talked to Adam and Eve in the garden... he
wrestled with Jacob; he showed Moses his person, though not his face. ..he
commanded the performance of the most shocking and hideous acts of
cruelty and barbarity. He hardened the heart of Pharaoh... Such were the
popular notions of the Deity; and either the priests had none better, or
took little trouble to correct these notions; or the popular intellect was not

enlarged enough to enable them to entertain any higher conceptions of the
Almighty.

But such were not the ideas of the intellectual and enlightened few among
the Hebrews. It is certain that they possessed a knowledge of the true
nature and attributes of God, as the same class of men did among the
other nations— Zoroaster, Menu, Confucius, Socrates, and Plato. But their
doctrines on this subject were esoteric; they did not communicate them to
the people at large, but only to a favored few; and as they were
communicated in Egypt and India, in Persia and Phoenicia, in Greece and
Samonthrace, in the greater mysteries, to the Initiates.

The communication of this knowledge and other secrets, some of which
are perhaps lost, constituted, under other names, what we now call
Masonry." [Pike, pp. 206-7],

Do we need any clearer statement than this of the true nature of Masonry as a
universal religion whose God is not the God of the Christian and of its own
characterization of itself as communicating the "true" attributes and name of God
which, it emphasizes, is not Jehovah? The god of Masonry, according to its
greatest authority, is not Jehovah! In fact. Pike states rather clearly who the
"Initiates" consider their god to be:

"The Devil is the personification of Atheism or Idolatry. For the Initiates,
this is not a Person, but a Force, created for good, but which may serve for
evil. It is the instrument of Fiberty or Free Will. They represent this Force,
which presides over the physical generation, under the mythologic and

horned form of the God Pan; thence came the he-goat of the Sabbat,
brother of that Ancient Serpent, and the Light-bearer..." [Pike, p. 102],

The same basic statement is found in Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, which
statement she ascribes to Eliphas Levi, a major occultist and magician whose
works, according to Manley P. Hall, Pike copied copiously:

"The Kabalists say that the true name of Satan is that of Jehovah placed
upside down, for Satan is not a black god but the negation of the white
deity... Tor the Initiates,' says Eliphas Levi, The Devil is not a person but a
creative Force, for Good as for Evil.' They (the Initiates) represented this
Force, which presides at physical generation, under the mysterious form
of God Pan— or Nature: whence the horns and hoofs of that mythical and
symbolic figure, as the Christian 'goat' of the Witches Sabbath." [H.P.B., p.
510],

The horned God Pan, or the Goat of Mendes, the he-goat of the "Witches
Sabbath"— all names for the same Satanic entity— is represented in the Pentagram,
the five-pointed star of witchcraft. This star is used upside down with the point
at the bottom for the goat's face and beard, and the two points at the top for the
horns. The Pentagram is the insignia not only for witches and Satanists
worldwide, but also for Mason's and their sister organization. Eastern Star! This
goat is also called Baphomet and is the god of the 12th century Knights Templar,
ancestors of the present Masonic organization.

Clearly, the true god of the religion of the Masonic Order is not Jehovah, but
Lucifer. Masonry is one of the major vehicles through which he is manifesting

his ages-old attempt to take the place of God in the Universe. In fact, according to
Alice A. Bailey, Lucifer actually officiated at the founding of Freemasonry! In
Initiation, Human and Solar, Bailey writes:

"All physical plane organization— governmental, religious, or cultural— is
the working out of the inner forces and causes, and, before they appear in
physical manifestation, a Localization... of these influences and energies
takes place on etheric [spirit] levels. The organization of the Freemasons is
a case in point... the Lord of the World was the officiating agent, as is ever
the case in the founding of great and important movements." [Alice A.
Bailey, pp. 131-132, Initiation, Human and Solar; Lucis Publishing Co.,
New York, 1970].

Again, let's us ask: how is it possible for rank and file Masons— many who are
professed Christians— to take part in such a Luciferic religion? How could
Christian pastors belong to such an organization?

As Pike and Hall have admitted. Masonry is in reality two organizations, an
outer fraternity of dupes deliberately misled about Masonry's symbols and
dogmas, and an occult inner brotherhood of adepts versed in magic, witchcraft
and the Mystery Religions of the ancient world. Religions whose central tenets
are being revived as the religion of the New Age.

This is the abominable universal world religious system that the Lord Jesus
Christ is returning to earth to destroy! (See Revelation, especially chapters 17-
19).

ANCIENT INITIATIONS

What did it mean to belong to these Mystery Religions of ancient pagan nations
that Clausen, Pike, Hall, Mackey and numerous other Masonic authorities say
are the precursors for modern day Masonry? Let's see if we can get a feel for
what went on in those pagan Initiation Rites. Please change gears for a moment,
and let your imagination run free; imagine the following scene, circa 1350 B.C.:

Flickering light glances off the cavernous walls and vaulted ceiling of the
immense cave. Erie-- and yet somehow sensuous-- the torch light casts a
mesmerizing spell on those assembled for the initiation. Their attention is riveted
on the candidate standing on the lip of a chasm spanned by a swinging rope
bridge. But he stands several yards from the bridge, not at its entrance.

His face is in shadow, but the rigid posture of his body portrays his intense
concentration. His chest heaves as he breathes in and out rhythmically. Suddenly
he straightens, and with fists clenched, raises his arms across his chest. Taking
one final deep breath, he steps off the edge into the darkness. Those assembled
are silent, watching intently as the candidate levitates across the chasm and steps
off on the other side.

Perhaps you may think this is more of an exercise in science fiction rather than a
glimpse of what it meant to be an initiate of the Mystery Religions of ancient
days. But listen to "illustrious" Manley P. Hall as he describes for us the neophyte
of these ages. He says that the Initiate of the ancient Mysteries was a man of
great learning and character, for whom initiation into the Mysteries meant great
physical trials and required great feats of occult capabilities:

"Not one Freemason out of a thousand could have survived the initiations
of the pagan rites, for the tests were given in those strenuous days when
men were men and death the reward for failure. The neophyte of the
Druid Mysteries was set adrift in a small boat to battle with the stormy
sea, and unless his knowledge of natural law enabled him to quell the
storm as did Jesus upon the Sea of Galilee, he returned no more. In the
Egyptian rites of Serapis, it was required of the neophyte that he cross an
unbridged chasm in the temple floor. In other words, if unable by magic
to sustain himself in the air without visible support, he fell headlong into a
volcanic crevice, there to die of heat and suffocation. In one part of the
Mithraic rites, the candidate seeking admission to the inner sanctuary was
required to pass through a closed door by dematerialization..." [Hall, pp.
414-15],

Hall then quotes Pike from the "LEGENDA FOR THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DEGREE" as
stating that "the science of the Hierophants of the mysteries produced effects that
to the Initiated seemed Mysterious and supernatural." [Hall, p. 415].

I suppose we could all agree with Pike that levitating across chasms, quelling
storms, and passing through walls could qualify as "Mysterious and
supernatural." "One Freemason out of a thousand" is probably close to the
percentage of those in today's fraternity who are Initiates of the secret Inner
Brotherhood who really understand the true meaning and purpose of Masonry
and who practice such magic and witchcraft.

As we've seen, such magic and witchcraft have their origin in the pagan, occult
Mysteries of ancient days. We've also briefly touched on the belief of New Agers
that all of this was given to us by the "Masters of Wisdom," or the "Hierarchy."
Let's get a better understanding of this so-called Hierarchy and it's role in
bringing about the New Age World Religion.

THE HIERARCHY

According to the New Age belief system, the Masters of Wisdom have ruled the
affairs of the earth for millennia. They are referred to as "The Hierarchy," which
is composed of advanced beings, some of whom live in an etheric (or, spiritual)
city over the Gobi desert called Shamballa. The Hierarchy contains a range of
beings all the way up to the "Lord of the World," himself.

Of course, what is being described is what the Bible clearly speaks of as the
spiritual forces we are battling in the heavenly sphere, the principalities and
powers of Satan's kingdom: "For your conflict is not only with flesh and blood,
but also with the angels, and with powers, with the rulers of this world of
darkness, and with the evil spirits under the heavens." [Eph. 6:12],

Our Lord Jesus Christ calls Satan the "Prince of the Power of the Air," and "the
god of this world." In 1 John 5: 19 we read that "the whole world around us is
under the power of the evil one." [The Amplified Bible], In her book, INITIATION,
HUMAN and Solar, Alice Bailey says basically the same thing:

"This Hierarchy of Brothers of Light still exists, and the work goes steadily

on. They are all in physical existence, either in dense physical bodies, such

as many of the Masters employ, or in etheric bodies, such as the more
exalted helpers and the Lord of the World occupy... They exist upon this
planet with us, controlling its destinies, guiding its affairs, and leading all
its evolutions on to an ultimate perfection..." [A. Bailey, IHS, p. 32],

The apostle Paul pointed out that there are unseen spiritual beings organized in a
hierarchy: "And through him were created all things that are in heaven and on

earth, visible and invisible; whether imperial thrones or lordships or angelic
orders or dominions..." [Col. 1:16,].

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, he refers to a Satanic angel whose assignment was to attack
him repeatedly (whose attacks are summarized in the previous chapter): "...there
was delivered to me a thorn in my flesh, the angel of Satan, to buffet me..."

So we see that the Bible clearly states there are unseen spiritual beings in the
heavenly realm, and they are organized in a hierarchy. Alice Bailey also tells us
something about the headquarters for the "Lord of the World" in Shambala, big
city in the sky:

"The central home of this Hierarchy is at Shambala, a centre in the Gobi
desert, called in the ancient books the 'White Island.' It exists in etheric
matter... Several of the Masters in physical bodies dwell in the Himalayan
mountains. ..but the greater number are scattered all over the world,
dwelling in different places in the various nations, unrecognized and
unknown, yet forming each in His own place a focal point for the energy
of the Lord of the World..." [A. Bailey, IHS, p. 33].

New Agers also believe that other planets are inhabited and that the star Sirius is
home to The Great White Lodge from which all in this sector of the universe is
controlled. We saw earlier that, according to Bailey, this was the source for the
Mysteries. These mysteries, Bailey says, provide the secret powers for the magic
and witchcraft practiced by the Hierarchy:

"The Mysteries are, in reality, the true source of revelation... They concern
those capacities which enable the Members of the Hierarchy to work
consciously with the energies of the planet and of the solar system, and to
control forces within the planet... The Mysteries, when restored, will make
real... the nature of religion, the purpose of science, and the goal of
education. These are not what you think today."[ibid.]

Bailey says these mysteries contain more than just what is found in Masonry, and
they will be restored more fully when the Hierarchy (that is, the Kingdom of the
Anti-Christ) comes to earth visibly:

"The Mysteries will be restored in other ways also, for they contain much
besides that which the Masonic rites can reveal, or that religious rituals
and ceremonies can disclose... and only when the Hierarchy is present
visibly on earth, and the Mysteries of which the Masters are the
custodians are given openly to man, will the true secret and nature of
electrical phenomena be revealed." [Alice A. Bailey, p. 511, DISCIPLESHIP
IN THE NEW Age, VOL II; Lucis Publishing Co., New York, 1955; Ponder,
pp. 15-16].

Further, says Bailey, the churches and Masonry have failed to do a good job in
preparing the way for the restoration of the mysteries. She says,

"The ground is being prepared at this time for this great restoration. The
churches and Masonry are today before the judgment seat of humanity's
critical mind [because] both of them failed in their divinely assigned
tasks." [A. Bailey, p. 511, DISCIPLESHIP-II, ; Ponder, pp. 15-16].

So we see that the mysteries will be restored through the agency of liberal
churches, such as Unity, Christian Science, Mind Science, Mormonism, and
others as well as through Masonry.

FOSTER BAILEY UNVEILS THE SPIRIT OF MASONRY

We've already quoted from a remarkable book. The SPIRIT OF MASONRY, written
by the husband of Alice A. Bailey, Foster Bailey. In this book, we read of the true
spiritual heritage of which Masonry is the custodian. The typical Mason reading
this book— indeed, virtually anyone. Mason or not— would pass quickly over
passages of great interest to one familiar with occult works such as The SECRET
DOCTRINE or Alice Bailey's many books, especially INITIATION, HUMAN AND
Solar.

It is of great significance that, in his introduction to Part One, on page nine,

Foster Bailey states: "The words used in the text of this book are the words of another. "
In my opinion, this is a direct reference to this book's origin from the same source
as most of his wife Alice's books— as well as those of Helena Petrovena
Blavatsky— that source being the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul, one of the Masters of

Wisdom, who authored all these works through telepathic transmission. In other
words, their source is, in reality, a demonic spirit who is a talented actor.

The interesting thing we find from reading Foster's book, which was written by a
Mason for other Masons, is that the somewhat veiled references he makes to
various aspects of Masonry are clearly stated, or "unveiled," in the books of his
wife, Alice and those of H.P. Blavatsky. By comparing the contents of Foster's
book with these others, we can clearly see the key role that Masonry has played
in Satan's Kingdom— in all areas of the universe.

For example, on page 16, in discussing the Third Degree, when he refers to the
journey of the Master Mason ending in resurrection from the grave where "he
enters into that great Fellowship of Master Masons who are but the expression
upon earth of the divine fellowship existing in the Lodge of the Most Fligh," we
need look no further than Foster's wife, Alice for the true explanation.

In her book, INITIATION, HUMAN AND SOLAR, Alice tells us about that Lodge of
the Most High and she's not speaking of Heaven! She's speaking of the Masonic
Lodge on Sirius. Her comments give us a glimpse of another aspect of the close
relationship between the New Age Movement and Freemasonry:

"One great fact to be borne in mind is, that the initiations of the planet or
of the solar system are but preparatory initiations of admission into the
greater lodge on Sirius. We have the symbolism held for us fairly well in
Masonry, and in combining the Masonic method with what we are told of
the steps on the Path of Holiness we get an approximate picture. [After the
first four solar initiations, we get to the fifth initiation, which is] the first

cosmic initiation. The fifth initiation corresponds to the first cosmic
initiation, that of 'entered apprentice' in Masonry; and makes a Master an
'entered apprentice' of the Lodge on Sirius. The sixth initiation is
analogous to the second degree in Masonry, whilst the seventh initiation
makes the Adept a Master Mason of the Brotherhood on Sirius." [A.

Bailey, IHS, pp. 17-18].

So we see that Masonry is more than worldwide. When they say it's a universal
religion, that's just what they mean! We see clearly that Masonry's Heaven, or
"Great Lodge above," is not the dwelling place of God the Father and His Son,
The Lord Jesus Christ. It's the local (cosmically speaking) headquarters for the
Cosmic Brotherhood of the Great White Lodge of Freemasonry.

Alice tells us on page 98 of this book, that the Lodge on Sirius gets it's energy
from a Lodge in the Pleiades, a distant formation of seven stars. (Mayan, the girl
friend of David-- Shirley MacClaine's guru— was supposedly from the Pleiades.)
Bailey enumerates for us some of the cosmic influences that, she says, affect the
consciousness of men, especially during the process of initiation:

"First and foremost is the energy or force emanating from the sun Sirius. If
it might be so expressed, the energy of thought, or mind force, in its
totality, reaches the solar system from a distant cosmic centre via Sirius.
Sirius acts as the transmitter, or the focalizing centre, whence emanate
those influences that produce self-consciousness in man....

Another type of energy reaches man from the Pleiades, passing through
the Venusian scheme to us, just as the Sirian energy passes through the

Saturnian.... These facts involve the secrets of the mysteries..." [A. Bailey,
IHS, pp. 98-99],

She says if we but knew all the mysteries wrapped up in these facts, we'd
understand the secrets of the universe: "In the mystery of this influence, and in
the secret of the sun Sirius, are hidden the facts of our cosmic evolution, and
incidentally, therefore, of the solar system." [A. Bailey, IHS, p. 188].

I might add, that in all this nonsense is revealed the fact of Freemasonry's close
association and entanglement with these demons masquerading as "the
Hierarchy" and foisting all this hocus-pocus on the millions of those in the New
Age Movement and the Eastern religions who sincerely believe this malarkey!
But read on! It gets more incredible the further we delve into the writings of the
New Age Queen and her husband, Foster!

MASTER MASONS OF THE UNIVERSE

On page 21 of The SPIRIT OF MASONRY, Foster Bailey tells us about the "Master
Masons of the Universe," who have watched over mankind's progress on the
long road of evolution and, he reveals, that's the story depicted in the first three
degrees of Masonry:

"Such, symbolically, is the progress and mode of achievement for every
human soul; such has been the path trodden by all the Saviors of the race.
From darkness to light all must go... He must learn that the experience... is
the only thing that can fit him to join the ranks of the Master Masons of
the Universe, and carry on the eternal quest in company with all brothers.

This is the revelation which the passage of the candidate through all the
degrees conveys... Subtle and illusive indications are given also of that
organized and intelligent activity which is carried on by that Grand Lodge
of Master Masons who have for ages watched over humanity and guided
men steadily in the way of light... the whole fabric of Masonry may be
regarded as the externalization of that inner spiritual group whose
members, down the ages, have been custodians of the Plan." [F. Bailey, pp.
21 - 22 ],

Next, he writes that these Master Masons are called by many names, such as
"Christ and His church... They can be known by others as the Masters of the
Wisdom... the Dispensers of Light." Then he adds:

"They are therefore sometimes known as the Illuminatti...They are the
Rishis of the oriental philosophy, the builders of the occult
tradition.. .Stage by stage They assist at the unfolding of the consciousness
of the candidate until the time comes when he can 'enter into light' and, in
his turn become a light-bearer, one of the Illuminatti who can assist the
Lodge on High in bringing humanity to light." [F. Bailey, pp. 22-23].

As any Mason knows, "entering into light" is the term used in the fulfillment of
his "search for light" in the degrees of Masonry. Bailey has just stated that this
can make him one of the Illuminatti! One of those "illumined" ones who can help
the Masonic Grand Lodge on Sirius "bring humanity into light." (That is, bring
them under demonic control.)

Foster Bailey says that participating in this great work, as part of a greater
initiation— the Luciferic Initiation that Creme says will take place in Masonic
Lodges— will take one on to his own godhood:

"The rites, ceremonies and initiations of Masonry may be regarded (and
are so regarded by many) as being faint representations and symbolic
rehearsals of those major spiritual initiations through which every human
being must pass before achieving his goal of manifested divinity and can
enter finally within the veil." [F. Bailey, p. 23].

So we see that, like any good New Age occultist, a Mason's goal is to become a
god, himself.

EVOLUTION OF THE RACES

Another revelation concerns the "evolution" of the races as given by Foster
starting on page 31 and as explained more fully by H.P.B. and Alice in their
works. Foster presents what he calls a basic hypothesis in discussing the
question: "Is Masonry of vast antiquity and do we inherit it from a dim and
distant past?"

That the hypothesis is far more than that for the New Agers is evident when later
he says that if you can't accept this hypothesis, you just need to be more open to
your intuition, a veiled reference to paying attention to the demons trying to
influence you. Foster Bailey says the hypothesis, based on a study of the rituals
and symbols and the allegory of initiation, is as follows:

"Masonry is the descendent of, or is founded upon, a divinely imparted
religion which long antedates the prime date of creation as given in our
Bible. [It] is all that remains to us of the first world religion which
flourished in an antiquity so old that it is impossible to affix a date. It was
the first unified world religion. Then came the era of separation of many
religions, of sectarianism. Today we are working again towards a
universal world religion. Again then. Masonry will come into its own, in
some form or another." [F. Bailey, pp. 30-31].

Bailey says that this ancient religion is attested to by "such symbols as the
pyramids, both in Egypt and South America... what is left to us of the ancient
mysteries." [ibid., p. 32],

He says these mysteries "were temporary custodians of the ancient truth and
[are] closely allied to the Masonic work of today... and the golden thread of the
living continuity can be traced through them to modern Masonry." [ibid.].

Bailey then says that we can go even further back than that in our search for the
source of the Masonic inheritance:

"Masonry may therefore be as old as humanity itself, and religion as old as
Masonry... the period when there emerged on earth that infant humanity
of which our modern race of men are the fruitage. That period may also
have been the founding of.. .our Masonic ritual and work...

Scientists hint at two races which preceded ours and give them names—
The Lemurian civilization and the Atlantean civilization. Ancient Lemuria

saw the first human being walk on the earth. He was little more than an
animal..." [ibid., p. 35].

Then Foster makes a statement about this pre-human creature that should set
every Mason bolt upright in his chair:

"He was a soul in a deep and dark prison with the light that is hidden in
each human form lost and veiled... He was a poor blind candidate for
light, knocking blindly upon the door of the Temple. Blind and ignorant
he wanders up and down, seeking light and unable to answer the
questions put to him." [ibid., pp. 35-36].

So we see that Bailey says this pre-human creature was "a poor blind candidate
for light, knocking blindly upon the door of the Temple." That is a verbatim
description of the initiate during the ceremony of the first degree of Masonry!
But for those of you who are not Masons, you need not take my word for it,
because in the next sentence, Foster himself says that's what it represents:

"This is beautifully taught in the E.A. [Entered Apprentice] initiation
where all he can do, until the gift of light is conferred upon him is to
express his willingness to seek. Every other question, when put to him, is
answered by his escort." [ibid., pp. 35-36].

We can now better understand what Albert Mackey meant by his description of
the symbology of the First Degree. Writing in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry,
he states: "The Entered Apprentice Degree symbolizes the creation of man and
his first perception of light." [Mackey, p. 14].

Let's continue with the thread of the true meaning of the Blue Lodge initiations
as Foster now proceeds to show that not only the First Degree has as its purpose
to recount that time in prehistory when animal-man became man, but that the
second and third degrees also tell part of this story:

"Later the Atlantean civilization succeeds and the race of men reach a
point where they can begin to 'subdue their passions' and cultivate those
arts and sciences which will raise them up into a higher scale of
living.. .This is the lesson of the F.C. [Fellow Craft, or Second] initiation.

Today in our Aryan race, humanity... is now ready for a further
revelation. He can be permitted to take the sublime degree of M.M.

[Master Mason] and receive the Master's Word for which he so long has
sought... All this racial history is indicated in the work of the three degrees
of the Blue Lodge. ..and the rhythm of the threefold work of the Past, the
Present and Future lies revealed.” [F. Bailey, p. 36].

If you are a Mason, I suggest you re-read the previous pages and consider how
those you trusted in Masonry have lied to you from the start about the real
meaning of what your initiation signified. If you were also a Christian at this
time, whose Lord is the Light of the World, and "in Whom there is no darkness,"
can you really accept the description of your state as an Entered Apprentice as
one who was in darkness, a poor, blind soul searching for light?

So there you have it. Masonry, say the New Agers, is the original religion of not
only the world, but also of that part of the universe ruled by Lucifer, and it's a

worship carried out in the Grand Lodge on Sirius as well as in Masonic Lodges
everywhere else.

MASONIC "GROUP WORK" IS MAGIC

Earlier, we read of Masonry's true "work" as being witchcraft and magic. Foster
Bailey also discusses this aspect of Masonry in his book The spirit of Masonry.

He says that "even the most advanced esotericists in the fraternity" are even yet
only dimly aware of the true "creative" nature of the Masonic work. He likens
this creative work to that which God did when he spoke into existence the
worlds through "the Word as a creating factor." He says:

"The Hindu expresses it thus: 'God thought. God visualized. God spoke.
The worlds came into being.' Behind the constitution of a Lodge lies this
basic truth, and the work of a Lodge, through its rituals and ceremonies, is
intended to be a training school for creative work." [F. Bailey, pp. 95-96].

This creative work is accomplished when "a Lodge of Masons" becomes unified
and is enabled "to work together as one functioning coherent body." The Masons
learn by "participating in such a ritual, to work, say and think the same thing
simultaneously." [F. Bailey, p. 96].

We've already quoted parts of this earlier, in another context. But here let us
point out that anyone the least bit familiar with magic and witchcraft will
recognize this as a description of a witches' coven carrying out their "work"
which is called "creative work."

Bailey emphasizes the need for "a formulated uniformity of thought" so that
every move, every action "may have behind it, and underlying it, the
concentrated attention and thought power of the assembled Masons." The power
of this united thought "would be hypnotic in its potency... Masonry in its true
and highest sense is magical work." [F. Bailey, p. 97 ].

On the next page, he amplifies this "magical work." He says a Lodge of Masons
will then "work" as a group for Humanity as a whole:

"They will create a focal point for spiritual light, and will organize
themselves into a body of conscious custodians of the mysteries, acting as
a distributing agency for knowledge... The effectiveness of this possible
work will be paralleled by the increasing sensitivity of the race to
telepathic impression... They will consciously co-operate with the Lodge
on High... They will act as a dedicated lens through which the light can
shine in the darkness... and the mysteries of initiation will no longer be
only symbolic, but will constitute a definite form of activity, carried
forward upon earth." [F. Bailey, p. 98].

Bailey states that this cooperation with the lodge on High "will blend the minds
of many into one directed purpose" and will help empower the candidates for
initiation to meet the tests of that initiation. Then he states:

"Behind the magical work of the rituals must be the influence of the
established rhythm... The materializing upon earth of the mystical
vision... must be brought about by the wise working of this law of rhythm
and of ritual." [F. Bailey, p. 99].

Alice A. Bailey's many New Age books also give us a key to understanding more
about this group work, which is directed by the demons in the heavenlies
pretending to be "Masters of Wisdom" on Shambala. In The RAYS AND THE
Initiations, she states:

"The group can be, and frequently is, responsive to the 'bright centre',
Shambala... Here is the clue to the significance of group work. One of its
major functions, esoterically speaking, is to absorb, share, circulate, and
then distribute energy." [A. Bailey, Rays, p.68; quoted in SERVING
HUMANITY, a compilation of selections from the works of Alice A. Bailey,
p. 473; Lucis Publishing Co., New York; 1977],

She also discusses the "need for telepathic sensitivity in every group composed of
disciples... The cultivation of an inter-relation of a telepathic nature upon the
mental plane is essential." [A. Bailey, DISCIPLESHIP-2, p. 63; SH, p. 467],

The demon spirit calling himself the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul, speaking through
her, emphasizes the importance of this witchcraft, or group work, in "thought
formulation and thought-form creation." He says:

"Then a clear thought-form can be constructed with definiteness and it can
be positively directed... working on mental levels with your group
brothers so that your thought-form is a part of their thought-form and you
can, therefore, unitedly produce a living, embodied form which can be
directed as I may determine." [A. Bailey, p. 65, DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW
AGE, VOL. I, Lucis Pub. Co., New York; 1944; SH- p. 469].

The capability for this group work is not yet here, at least back when these words
were written, but it will become available to the Hierarchy, we are promised,
when the brothers have been better prepared for it's rigors of concentrated,
purposeful thought and visualization. In the meantime, we are told,

"The spiritual thought, resulting in magical work of one brother of pure
intent, is of far greater potency than that of many brothers who follow the
tendencies of the personality." [A. Bailey, A TREATISE ON WHITE MAGIC,
p. 260, Lucis Pub. Co., New York, 1967; SH- p.460].

And what are the requirements for a brother to be able to take part in this
witchcraft? Bailey says,

"The white magician is he who utilizes all power and knowledge in the
service of the race... the technique of the Great Work... The white magician
works with the forces of nature and swings them back into control of
advanced humanity." [A. Bailey, p. 359, Esoteric Psychology I, Lucis Pub.
Co., New York, 1967; SH- p 501],

The goal of this group work is to hasten the materializing on earth of the
Hierarchy, heralded by the return of "The Christ."

EXTERNALIZATION OF THE HIERARCHY BRINGS THE ANTICHRIST

This New Age Christ is not Jesus Christ of the Christians. The Master Jesus is.
New Agers say, simply a lower level initiate. But the purpose of the New Age is

to bring in a one world religion and government headed by "The Christ, the Lord
Maitraya," who is the Fifth Buddha and this will bring into physical incarnation
the Hierarchy, itself, as Alice Bailey explains in The Rays and the Initiations:

"The externalization of the Hierarchy, therefore, and the restoration of the
Mysteries,. ..are an expression of the inherent spiritual impulse. ..The
Hierarchy has its own life, and its own goals and objectives [which] will
become more familiar to thinking men as the Hierarchy approaches closer
to the physical plane." [A. Bailey, RAYS, pp. 333-35; Ponder, pp. 170-71],

In The Externalization of the Hierarchy, Bailey tells us in terms so clear
even a novice Christian can understand that what we're reading about in these
New Age books are the battle plans of Satan's kingdom:

"The senior Members of the Hierarchy will not at first be the ones who will
make the needed approach. Under Their direction and Their close
supervision, this approach will be made— in the early stages— by
initiates. ..and also by those disciples who will.. .work under their direction.
It is only in the later stages, and when the time has come for the return into
recognized physical expression of the Christ, leading to the definite
restoration of the Mysteries that certain of the senior members of the
Hierarchy will appear and take outer and recognizable physical control of
world affairs." [A. Bailey, EH, p. 570].

This is such a clear statement of the Anti-Christ setting up his one world
government and universal one world religion, based on the Mystery Religion of
ancient Babylon, even someone with only a sketchy notion of Revelation should

be able to discern that the New Age Movement is Satan's plan to bring about the
reign of the Anti-Christ over the earth. In this same book, Bailey states that this
takeover will have among its goals:

"1. Creating and vitalizing the new world religion. 2. The gradual
reorganizing of the social order... 3. The public inauguration of the system
of initiation. This will involve the growth and comprehension of
symbolism. 4. The esoteric training of disciples and of humanity in this
new cycle." [A. Bailey, EH, p. 700].

In ESOTERIC Psychology II, she sheds more light on this event:

"Another important objective of the Plan... is the emergence into physical
plane activity, of the group of souls of Whom the New Group of world
Servers are the outer representatives. This appearance can be called (in
Christian phraseology) the second coming of Christ with His Disciples, or
it can be called the manifestation of the planetary Hierarchy, or the
appearance of the Masters of the Wisdom, Who will restore upon earth the
ancient mysteries and institute again the order of Initiation." [A. Bailey,
EP-2, p. 649; Ponder, p. 315].

MASONRY IS THE CORE OF THE NEW AGE WORLD RELIGION

Alice Bailey finally gives away the big secret:

"[T]he Christ and the Masters are occupied with the task of preparing for
the restoration of the Mysteries. This restoration will fall into three phases

and will cover and include in its symbolism all phases of human
unfoldment. The story of mankind will be pictorialised. These three
phases correspond broadly and in a general sense to the three degrees of
the Blue Lodge in Masonry. The analogy is not entirely accurate, owing to
the unavoidable degeneracy of Masonry, but with the restoration of the
Mysteries, Masonry will come into its own... [The ritual of the Master
Mason Degree] will be objectively staged and the general public will
recognize it as the major rite and ritual of the new religious institution of
the period. This is the stage where the forces of resurrection are active,
when the Lord is with His people and the Christ has returned to earth."
(Alice A. Bailey, EH, pp. 574-5).

There you have it. I don't know how it could be any clearer. We've looked in
detail at the Mystery Religions of ancient days. We've heard from the top
Masonic authorities and the top New Age authorities who have agreed that
Freemasonry is the repository of the Mysteries and that a New Age World
Religion is being forged based on these Mysteries.

Now we've heard the direct statement from Alice Bailey /Djwahl Khul that the
Blue Lodge degrees will form the heart of this new religion, and that the mystery
play of the Third Degree will be staged as its "major rite and ritual."

So we see that Freemasonry is more than just the heart or core of the Antichrist's
New Age World Religion— Freemasonry is the New Age World Religion!

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

CHAPTER FIVE

MIXING OIL WITH WATER

Rev. Harmon Taylor
HRT Ministries
Box 12

Newtonville, NY. 12128-0012

I'm going to share with you something I have entitled "Mixing Oil with Water.
"You'll quickly understand the subject, we'll be using the Word of God, and
many selected scripture portions at the very beginning of this message. This is
the message on Freemasonry that I presented to the United Methodist church I
pastored on my way out of the pastoral ministry.

Let me share with you a statement of Charles G. Finney, one of the foremost
preachers of his day. He was a theologian who accepted Christ in 1821 and
served Him until his death in 1875. He fulfilled the pastoral role in several
churches. He became one of the most renown professors of systematic theology
in all of history. But most of all he served his Lord to the very best he knew how
to do, and that's what I'm trying to do.

He said when faced with a challenge you should do this, study it in the light of
scripture and act upon it in the light of scripture. "Every local branch of the
Church of Christ is bound to examine this subject and pronounce upon this
institution according to the best light they can get."

I have been involved in Freemasonry. I have been involved in the church as a
believer and as a pastor.. I have been a pastor and teacher. I have been involved
in the reading of His Word. I have been involved in the comparison of the Word
of God as I see it in Holy Scripture versus the Word of God as it is given me in
the ritual of the Masonic Fraternity. Invariably there are words changed. So let
us look at mixing oil with water.

Let me share from Psalm 118: Verse.22.

"The stone, the very stone which the builder rejected, It has become the capstone.
The Lord has done this, it is a marvelous thing in our eyes. This is the day which
the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. "

Then, moving over to Mt. 5, Vrs. 33-37, Jesus is speaking about perjury and
retaliation being forbidden.

"Again you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your
oath, but keep your oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, says Jesus, do
not swear at all, Either by heaven, for it is Gods' throne, or by the earth for it is
His footstool, or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king, and do not swear
by your head, for you cannot make even one hair either white or black, simply let
your yes be yes and your no be no. Anything beyond that comes from the evil
one. "

These are not my words now, these are the words of Jesus. And then moving
over to Mt. 24, Vrs. 1&2.

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came to Him to
call attention to its buildings. Do you see all these things? Jesus asked. I tell you
the truth, not one stone here will be left on another. Every one of them will be
thrown down. He was speaking of the temple. "

Then, moving over to 2 Timothy, the third chapter and verse sixteen. Second
Timothy 3:16, You've heard of John 3:16, that's an easy one to remember, 2
Timothy 3:16, hear the word of scripture:

"All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, for rebuking, for
correcting, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work. This scripture is saying that it's
meant for more than just love, love, love. Scripture is God-breathed, useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."

2 Timothy 4, Words the Lord has laid upon my heart, and reinforced so many
times. Before I ever spoke them as a section of scripture that the Lord was
dealing with me on, my daughter placed that scripture in my hand. Just the
lettering, 2 Timothy 4: 2 through 5. This was Paul’s' message to Timothy, a
pastor. And it is a message to every pastor, it is a message that certainly God
had for this pastor. I know that I know that I know! That this is the scripture
verse that God has for me, that He has burned into my heart.

"Preach the Word. Be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and
encourage with great patience and careful instructions for the time will come
when men will not put up with sound doctrine, instead, to suit their own desires
they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching

ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to
myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of
an Evangelist, discharge the duties of your ministry."

That is God's call upon me and that is what I am trying to do. And then one
other scripture verse, again relating back to Mt. 5. This is in James, Chapter 5 and
verse 12.

"Above all my brothers, do not swear. Not by heaven, nor by earth, nor by
anything else. Let your yes, be yes and your no, no — or you will be
condemned. "

God have mercy on us as we share together around these scripture verses. I had
been pastor of my church for a little more than a year. God had been moving
dramatically in my life. He moved dramatically just to bring me to Clifton Park
United Methodist Church. We worked together as a pastor and people and in
that time one word had stood out above all others in my Christian walk, and it is
this; Be careful. Pastor, of deception. As God moved in my life in those months,

I had been able to see how easy it was for me and for others to be deceived and
drawn away from the Christian walk. It was in October of the same year that I
shared with them the roots of Halloween and how it was brought into sync with
the Christian holiday of All Saints Day.

I shared with them the evil of that; some rebuked it but it was the call of a pastor
to preach Gods' Word. Some of them learned, some of them were surprised. I
was even more surprised when a brother in Christ came to me. He'd been
praying for four months - remember Nehemiah? This brother prayed for four

months before he came to me, to talk about my involvement in a cult! "Bob, what
are you talking about? Me? involved in a cult? I'm in the United Methodist
Church!" And then we began to share together.

I realized that while I was sharing with the church that they needed to be careful
about dabbling in the occult even if it were just the dressing in a costume, here I
was in a full blown cult.

It's not easy for me to share that with you, for what you might think and how
could I be so stupid. I've shared with others and actually had Christians laugh at
me. Please, don't laugh. But Listen. As a pastor, as a preacher, as a child of The
King, I must preach the word without fear of man's criticism. I must preach it
with the reverential fear of the love of God for the souls of all men.

This morning we will deal with a topic that may be uncomfortable to some of
you. To others, it may tell you something you already suspected. To others, it
will confirm what you already knew. At the very start I need to assure you that
my object is not to attack or challenge any individual man, woman, or child.

What I share with you has little to do with a man or woman or child but it affects
the lives of many men, women, and children. And it is that evil that I speak
against this day.

I am not attacking a person but I am seeking to lead men and women into a
closer walk with the One, True God. The Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I do
this in the name of Christ for the glory of God and hopefully with a boldness of a
Charles G. Finney, a nineteenth century Evangelist who spoke as God gave him

utterance.

First, let's look at the dictionary definition of Immoral. Webster defines it as
conflicting with generally and traditionally held moral principles. Concerning
the fraternity of Freemasons my Christian friends, their benevolence, their moral
principles in general, Charles G. Finney accurately states the following:

"Masonry does not recognize the Bible as any higher authority with
Masons than the sacred books of heathen nations nor the Koran of
Mohammed or the Verti of Hindu. That Freemasonry recognizes all
religions is equally valid. That so far as Masonry is concerned, it matters
not at all what the religion of its adherents is, provided they are not
Atheists."

To join the Masonic Fraternity, you need not be a Christian. I could ask you to
raise your hands as to how many of you think that the Masonic Fraternity is a
Christian organization and probably one third of you would raise your hand,
until you think about it or remember that there are Jews and many others in that
organization, and the reason for that is that it requires a belief in only one god.
Any god! Just one.

I'm not the first to stand up and to speak out against it. I'm just one of the latest.
I'm going to share with you the names, of a remarkable list of great Christian
men and statesmen who renounce the lodges and opposed them, and this is
particularly important to you if you happen to be upset, because one of the most
illustrious figures in religion to speak out against Masonry was a man by the
name of John Wesley. Yes, I'm going back to Methodism. Right back to the very

root. That man who left his church and preached the salvation message to
miners in England. Yes, John Wesley took a stand against Masonry.

Alexander Campbell, Daniel Webster, Wendell Phillips, Chief Justice Charles
Marshall, Charles Summner, John Hancock, Horace Greeley, Dwight L. Moody,
R. A. Tory, Timothy Dwight, Charles Finney, Charles Blanchard, John Adams,
John Quincy Adams, John Madison, Amos Wells, Simon Peter Long, James M.
Gray. A long list of men who spoke out against Masonry. Listen to these
powerful words of Dwight L. Moody to pastors.

"I don't see how any Christian most of all a Christian Minister can go into
these secret lodges with unbelievers. They say they have more influence
for good but I say they can have more influence for good by staying out of
them and then reproving their evil deeds. Abraham was more influence
for good in Sodom than Lot was for good. True reformers separate
themselves from the world rather than becoming a part of it. But Dwight
L. Moody, some say, if you talk that way you'll drive out all the members
of secret societies out of your meetings and out of your churches, "What if
I did?" said Dwight L. Moody, better men will take their places. Give
them the truth anyway and if they would rather leave their churches than
their lodges the sooner they get out of the churches, the better. Those are
the words of an Evangelist, a Prophet, Dwight L. Moody. "I would rather
have ten members," he said, "who are separated from the world than a
thousand such members. Come out of your lodges. Better be one with
God that a thousand without Him."

Concerning a Christian as a member of a Masonic society we have this from the
very Word of God.

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people that Ye not
be partakers of her sin and you receive not her plagues for her sins have reached
unto heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities." (Rev. 18:4-5)

There are many Christians, even ministers of the Gospel of Christ who support
the adherence to the teachings of the Masonic lodge. I have been a Mason, I have
been a Past Master of my lodge, I received the Master of the Year Award in my
district for increasing the lodge attendance by 259% over the previous year. Yes,
I was committed to it. I'm ashamed of it now. But it took a lot of time from my
church, from my family, from my sleep. I did the best job I knew how to do.

I was appointed a New York State Grand Chaplain; there's sixty-some in the
state. I was one of them and I was selected personally by the Grand Master
because of my leadership and because of my service. Normally it goes through a
district committee where Right Worshipfuls get together, but they were saving
me for District Deputy Grand Master.

The Grand Master personally appointed me to that post. I served him as best I
could. But what it says or should say to you is that I speak with the authority of
the Word of God and I speak with the full knowledge of the rituals. I have
performed the degrees in the Blue Lodge. I have seen them all, observed, and
been a part of them. There is a real question of what can be done with the great
numbers of professed Christians including Christian pastors who are in the
Masonic Fraternity. But I tell you, I pray for them every single day.

Let me just share with you what one pastor said. I wrote an Editorial in the
newspaper. All I did was commend my denomination in England and the
Roman Catholic church for taking a stand against Masonry and your coverage.

In part, I said,

"I write as one who is well informed and not confused, and in no need of
help concerning this matter. Stanley Maxwell quoted as saying "The
lodge honors Jesus Christ as it honors Socrates, Buddha, Mohammed.
Christians and others need to know that Masonry honors none of these.
They aren't mentioned in any form of honor in the Fraternity. Their names
aren't mentioned and neither is the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. There
is no place in ritual of the Masonic Fraternity where Jesus is
acknowledged as "Your Savior"."

What was the response by a man who is chairman of a district board of ministry
that I answered to, to be able to stand in my Pulpit, "a Grand Chaplain, Mr.
Taylor has expressed his biased opinion, and his faith seems to have been
adversely affected.”

What men will do. What men will do in order to protect their fraternity. Even to
the putting down of a fellow pastor. Charles G. Finney was a Mason, came out
of it when he accepted Christ, and he wrote a whole book on it. The air has
almost been darkened by the immense number of falsehoods that have been
circulated by Freemasonry to destroy the reputation of every man who has
renounced Freemasonry.

Anybody come to you and criticized you? You know, back home, somebody
came into an insurance office and told a member of my congregation, "It's a
good thing you got rid of that guy when you did." She said to him, "We didn't
get rid of him, we wanted to keep him. He left."

Do you know that a week after I came out of the Fraternity the man who wrote
the History of Masonry gathered together the officers of my lodge, told them
what a tragic loss it was, reminded them about my year in a back brace, told
them that I'd been on some strong medication and evidently it had affected my
mind.

Well I'll tell you what the medication was. It was two Valium prescribed by the
Doctor while I was in the Hospital for two weeks, reduced to half that amount
when I got out of the hospital, and that was two years before I made the decision
to leave Masonry. That medication is awful slow working! I think any Doctor
would be able to document that it didn't come from that medication. But
Hallelujah! He spoke to the Master of my lodge, and you know what happened?
A week after I left Masonry, he signed my demit, before the next meeting. Let
me share it with you:

"To the Secretary;

I am resigning as a member of Welcome Lodge 829. There is a better
light, that light is the light of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In His
Word (Jn. 8:12) it says: I am the light of the world, whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness. I have walked in the darkness of Masonry.
Today I am ending that darkness and following the One, True, Light, that
of God, His Son , and The Holy Spirit."

Hallelujah! I did more for Jesus Christ by leaving Masonry than I ever did by
being in it. and that's just the beginning, you know what else happened? The
next day his son left and gave his testimony! And you know what else
happened? That week they had a mid-week prayer meeting in the Church on
Wednesday night.

I called up a man who walked by me one day at the Pine View Community
Church, and he said to me, "I don't know how you could be a minister and a
Mason." He was a kind of wimpy kind of guy so I just ignored it, but God didn't
let me forget it. And when I left the Fraternity I called him on the phone and I
told him that I'd come out of Masonry and he said "Oh, great! Can I use that as a
testimony tonight at worship?"

My gut reaction was no, I want to tell them the next time I get there. But that's
pride Taylor. O.K., you can tell them. He went to that prayer meeting. He
shared, there was a guy with his Masonic bible with its big Masonic emblem on
it. And as he told about this Mason writing a letter to the Grand Chaplain and
leaving Masonry, he pulled the Bible closer to him. Next to him was a dear black
lady who learned a long time ago how to really pray. It got to prayer time and
she stood up and she started to pray that God would use that letter to lead other
men out of the Fraternity by the hundreds. He could take no more of it. He
picked up his Bible, he stormed out of the church; This fellow that I'd been
talking to saw that Masonic emblem and he said. I've offended that brother."

When I got home there was a message from the Mason waiting. My wife knew I
wouldn't be in until late, but he said, "Have him call me whatever time he gets

in." I called him, it was after 12:00, now in the morning of the next day, and he
said, "I hear that you are Grand Chaplain and you got a letter from a guy that's
leaving Masonry. Do you know anything about it? "

I said, "Sure, I know all about it, I wrote the letter." He replied, " I gotta talk to
you." And so we went down and we ate at the Hilton Hotel. We sat there and
we prayed and he told me his testimony. He wanted to know how to get out and
what to do. You know, in that week eight men came out of the Fraternity and
every single one of them gave a witness to the Lord Jesus Christ Hallelujah!

What's happening is that people don't know. You know why the Masonic
Fraternity is a secret organization? Because if they ever showed me that ritual
before I went through the door of that lodge, I would have laughed. Then I
would have gone home.

I don't know how other men get into Masonry, I'll tell you how I got in. I was a
pastor to my people in Hagemon, and I slipped up bad. I let the men of my
church lead me in an area where I should have been leading them. When I
looked out in the congregation there were Masonic lapel pins on all but one of
the men in my congregation. I couldn't get a men’s' group started in my church
and now I know why, they were all involved in Masonry, they didn't have time
for another meeting a week. Since I couldn't get them to join a group, I joined
the one they had. I asked them and oh, were they thrilled. Were they happy,
their minister was going to join.

I had a lady in that church, Marion Campbell, She didn't like my involvement in
Masonry, but I didn't have to worry about that, you see. Every time she spoke

up these men put her down. When there were some tough times in the church,
some of those Masons who disagreed with what I was saying supported me
because I was a Mason. Now that's not the reason to support your pastor. It's
easy to get led in.

Finney challenges men like myself. Let Christian men labor with these Masons,
Plead with them and endeavor to make them see it is to be their duty to abandon
it. He continues; The morality inculcated by Masons is an exclusive, one-sided,
selfish affair. In its best estate it is only partiality, and the doing in a very
slovenly manner the work of a mutual insurance company.

You see, if you get involved the first person that a Masons' going to help (and
some of you who were Masons can attest to this) If you're given a choice between
giving help to a Mason and somebody else, you help that Mason first, even if the
other one is in more need. Let no man deceive you by any means. Masonry
claims for itself the power to conduct its disciples to heaven. You do it by your
good works, and if you are good in your works, you will get there.

In many places in the ritual it teaches the candidate the observance of Masonic
law, principles, and usages that will secure for him his salvation. I put a lot of
those things in a corner. You ever done that in your house? You put a lot of
things in a corner and the house looks pretty neat? But when you pull all that
stuff out of the corner, what a mess! That's what happened with Masonry and
me. I stuck the salvation by works in one corner. I stuck some scripture that
wasn't quite right in another corner.

As I sat down with a Christian brother who prayed for me for four months
without my even knowing it, you know one of his prayer partners moved all the
way to Carolina?, He called her every week to pray with her for me? That's the
kind of commitment that came to me by a brother and a sister in Christ, that I be
led out. Do you know that brother and that woman came to my son's
graduation because they couldn't believe that a Mason would be allowed in the
Laudenville Community Church pulpit.

Do you know when we met five months later He gave me a copy of that bulletin,
wrote down everything, and a little Masonic symbol with a question mark
wherever what I said didn't line up with Masonic ritual. A lot of time, a lot of
effort, and that's what I'm trying to do with others. I prayed over this message
for nearly four months now.

"Let no man deceive you for that day shall not come except there come a falling
away, first of that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition who opposeth and
exhalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that as he
as god sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is god . "

Not only is Freemasonry a religion, it offers salvation by works. But it also claims
the position of God through its very rituals. In the seventh degree of the Royal
Arch Masons there is a representative of the burning bush. I'll tell you how deep
I got into this. I went through the Scottish Rite, the 4th through the 32nd degree
in Masonry. Some of you may know about the 32nd degree of Masonry, maybe
your Dad was a 32nd degree Mason, and you think that's a pretty good thing.

You know what it takes to be a 32nd degree Mason? Over a Mason? In Albany,
$135, and all day Saturday watching six plays performed and maybe you're
selected to participate in one. That's all it takes. But praise a man for being a
32nd degree Mason and he's not going to tell you that. I never told anybody
that when I was a Mason. The 7th degree of Royal Arch Masons has a
representation of the burning bush. The candidate is told to take off his shoes for
the place where he stands is holy ground. And then the Master of the lodge
claims to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What an awful, profane,
blasphemous thing this is.

It is my most sincere prayer that our time together today, even though it is
running fast, will help you to receive in a spirit of love and compassion what I
endeavor to convince you concerning the dangers of the Masonic fraternity. I've
been there! And I'll tell you, it is only by the grace of God that I am out of there
today!

You ever hear the story of the frog in the water? The frog sits in a pan of water,
very content. You put the pan on a hot plate, and begin to turn up the
temperature very slowly; and the frog sits there very contentedly — as the
temperature rises from 68 to 75 to 80 to 100 to 140 to 180 to 212. You know that
frog will never jump out of that water?

And that's the way it is with Christians — when they get involved with the wrong
things, just a little bit at a time. Then you can get in, and when the water is
boiling, you are still there. In my first degree, I wanted OUT! And I knew why I
wanted out. Yet, within four years I was doing that degree and bringing other
men into Masonry.

The frog — that's who I was! But God kissed me with His Word, and now I am a
child of the King! Does that make me a prince ?

What am I trying NOT to do this morning? I am not trying to have any quarrel
or controversy with any man, woman or child who happens to be involved in
Masonry. I am not disregarding the sensibility of any Mason regarding their pet
institution. I do not want to assail them. I only want to point out that there come
times in the church when we have the sacrament of Holy Communion and you
will find that if Masons have a conflict, that they don't come to Holy
Communion, they go to their Lodge meeting.

What would I wish to do, if possible? I would wish to stop the spread of this
great evil in the Church of Jesus Christ! I wish to give you some information that
brings light and life.

Do you know that in spite of the two editorials I had put in the newspaper about
Freemasonry, not one member of my church came to me and asked me about
Freemasonry! They went to somebody else who knows nothing and asked
''What do you think about that?" Or they went to another Mason and they
asked, "What do you think about that?" — a Mason to a Mason.

No man came to me, nor woman, nor child; and asked me, "Why did you say
that?" If you've got a question, go to your pastor and ask him!

What would I wish to do, if possible? I would wish to stop the spread of this
great evil in our church — in the whole church. I wish to arouse young men who

are Masons to understand the horrible consequences of their dealings in these
solemn oaths. I wish to arouse young men who are not Freemasons to look
before they leap. The church, and the Christians have been remiss in suffering a
whole generation, including me, to grow up in ignorance of the character of
Freemasonry. No minister ever told me about that. Not one denominational
leader quietly gave me a single word of advice or warning.

In the 1800's Masonry was exposed; and Masons abandoned their lodges for the
shame of it. It cost one man, William Morgan, his very life. But for me to lay down
my life is gain. That holds no threat to me. This man wrote all of the rituals of
Masonry in a book, and you know what Masons did? They kidnapped him from
Batavia, NY; moved him out to Niagara; stored him in Ft. Niagara for three days,
and then they took him out in a boat. They tied a rope — the Masons would call it
a cabletow — around his waist (not quite Masonically) with a weight on it; and
gave him one half hour to make his peace with his God. And he pleaded that he
might be spared so that he might be able to care for his wife and his children.
They killed him, anyway.

These aren't rumors. This is the deathbed testimony of a man named Howard
Vallance; the man who pushed William Morgan off the bow of that boat.

In Masonic history, you know what they call that event, which I see your faces
shuddering at? "The Morgan excitement . " How does that get you? They said if
he were a drinking man, he'd be a drunk. See, they try to defame and disgrace
everybody who doesn't agree with them.

Oh! And the theme of Masonry is “Tolerance!" We must tolerate one another.
"Ah, dear brother, you know when you say that prayer as Grand Chaplain, you
can't end it in the name of Jesus because you might offend the Jewish brother.
Where's your tolerance, brothers?"

Where's your tolerance to the fact that the scripture tells us that we come to God
the Father through Christ, His Son. You're telling me to pray an empty prayer!
And I remember saying to the Jewish brother — who was eating his ham dinner at
the time, and who told me not to pray in Jesus' name — I told him that I would
pray in Jesus' name, and that when he heard the brief silence after my prayer
before I said "Amen" that he could rest assured that I was saying, under my
breath, "In Jesus' name."

Isn't that awful? See how far — how hot they had gotten the water around the
frog? That he'd say the name of Jesus under his breath? Well, I'm not saying it
under my breath any more! Jesus Christ is my Savior and I'm serving him!

That's why I'm sharing with you!

Masonry claims the souls of men.

Let me go back and tell you a little bit more about Henry Vallance. He was never
arrested, never tried for the crime — and in that you find something about
Masonry. The justices, the law enforcement officials — they took great pains to
conceal, to deceive themselves. John Quincy Adams was President of the United
States of America at the time, and he gave a scathing attack against Masonry,
when he investigated the events behind it after leaving the presidency.

They even established two false editions of Morgan's book, and they circulated
the false editions and they would bring that false edition over to a Mason who
had never read the true book, and show it to him; and he would say, "Why these
rituals aren't correct!" And then he would become the spokesman to prove that
the Morgan book was a lie.

Charles G. Finney, as he wrote his book, had a copy of the real book. The
Masons could now rightly claim that the book was not correct; but they did not
have all the information. They'd been deceived by their own brothers.

But the good news was that following that incident, 45,000 of the 50,000 Masons
in this country left their lodges, when the facts became known, to enter it no
more. While Christians have slept, the fraternity has once again reared its ugly
head; and taken unto itself Christians and ministers of the gospel.

Now how is this public to know what Freemasonry is? How are you to know?
First, negatively, you are not going to find out what it is by reading most of the
books written by adhering Masons. Because they are not going to tell you the
truth — they are not going to tell you their ritual — or the real history of their
ritual..

Secondly, you cannot learn about Masonry from the oral testimony of adhering
Masons. They'll tell you anything but the truth, because they need to protect that
secret of their society.

Thirdly, Masons who are under an oath not to reveal any of its secrets will not
reveal that. Their testimony, therefore, cannot be trusted, and is of no value on
the subject of Freemasonry.

How then, are you positively to know about Masonry as the church? Positively,
you can learn it from the published and oral testimonies of those who have taken
the degrees, such as myself; and have afterwards renounced them, and confessed
the error and publicly renounced Masonry.

You can know from these renouncing Masons that they are competent witnesses,
they are credible witnesses, when they testify against themselves. And anyone
who testifies against himself does not do it lightly. It is given with a certainty of
incurring an unrelenting persecution.

Now I ask you, what have Masons said about me since I have left the fraternity?
And the question is answered. . . They will trample over a man or woman of God
to defend their institution.

I told you of the brother who said I was on drugs. What I didn't tell you is that
the police came to his own door one night. They'd arrested his son — also a
Mason — for peddling drugs. I didn't tell you that the Masons got together and
got him completely off the hook, and he is still a member of the Masonic lodge!

I didn't tell you about another Mason in Scenectady, NY, who spent two months
in jail while a 33° Mason while they looked for a Masonic judge to get him off,
and then all the records are done away with. He forged money orders, and
bounced checks on closed accounts! He's still a Mason today. You see. Masons

are bound to do more than help a brother; they're to help a brother in distress,
and it doesn't say what kind of distress.

It could be that you're a little bit out of money and need some food; or it could be
that you've committed a crime. It really makes no difference. And as you get
higher up in the degrees, even treason is covered over by the brethren.

That means if you're a Mason and a policeman, and if you abide by the oath of
the fraternity; and you're told to go and arrest another Mason; you call him on
the phone and tell him to get out of town before you get to his door. It means
that if you're mugged and before the court and your lawyer is a Mason; and the
accused gives the Grand Masonic Hailing Sign of Distress, your lawyer is under
oath to flaw your case so that the brother goes free.

If you find a Mason on a jury, and that Grand Masonic Hailing Sign were given,
you are going to have a hung jury, if that Mason carries out his oath; and many
do!

Adhering Masons have persecuted and still do persecute those who reveal their
secrets, just as far as they dare.

Dear Christian friends, I submit to you that this is the highest degree of
intolerance! Witnesses who testify under such circumstances as I have been
under are entitled to credit; especially as they could have had no conceivable
motive for deceiving the public. When someone asks you the next time, "What's
the matter with Harmon Taylor?", you tell them he's been in the Word of God,
okay? He's been in the ritual, but that was wrong and God has forgiven him.

Look at the Master Mason degree for a moment; and I'm going to share a little bit
about the first degree, too. The Third degree, like those that have gone before,
have taken the candidates in blindfolded; their eyes are covered. They can't see.
A rope around their neck! You ever been blindfolded? With a rope around your
neck? Close your eyes for a minute and imagine that you don't know anything
that's going on the other side of the door. What do you think? Comfort and joy?

I went to that Masonic lodge room dressed like I'm dressed today, in a business
suit Members of my church were there! Masons! They went into the lodge room
and I was told to go into the other room. I went in there, and they closed the
door, they told me to take off all my clothes, and put on this cape and this pants
that was missing one leg. And the brother stayed there, I didn't even know that
man's name! And he's in this small room with me about the size of this platform
that I'm on. Then he blindfolded me and put a cabletow, a rope, around my
neck.

Then there was a knock on the door, he asked who was there, and the man said
that I was a poor, blind, candidate, desirous of having and receiving a part in
the rites, light & benefit of this lodge.

Masons ought to pay attention to the ritual that comes afterwards because I
never did. I knew it, I learned it, I memorized it, but I didn't knozv what it said.

Dear friend, you know what they were saying about your pastor? a born-again
Christian pastor? They were saying as he came through the door of that lodge

that he was spiritually blind and they say that about every Christian coming
through the door of that lodge.

They weren't talking about the blindfold. The Masons sit on the sidelines, new
members come in, the blindfold is on, they assume its physical blindness, but the
ritual, the words themselves, are talking about spiritual blindness.

I was led to the end of the back of the lodge room, and I know there's some
Masons here, and you can testify to the truth of this, blindfolded, cabletow, and
your heart may even be beating a little more rapidly as you hear that senior
deacon say that he's about to apply a sharp instrument to your naked right
breast.

You are waiting to get shot with a needle, or feel a knife, you don't know, but in
a split second that feels like an eternity you feel the point of a compass, you
know, the kind you make circles with, and then they lead you on! and you are
scared!

You don't think much of any of your friends that are there now. About all you
can remember is that you've lived through it. And then you're told to kneel for
the benefit of prayer & they say a prayer, a Godless prayer, and then they ask
you in whom you put your trust.

You sure don't put your trust in any of your congregation there who were
Masons and that you know are in that place. You'd like to run out but you don't
know where the door is because they've moved you around a couple times and
you are blindfolded. You tell them the only thing you can, in God. They say.

your trust being in God is well-founded. Rise, follow your conductor, & fear no
danger.

Whew! That felt good! You know what that was? That was the lamb being led
to the slaughter.

So I went from there and followed the rest of the ritual very comfortable. A
member of my church escorted me through this, and I was brought up to the
altar and told to kneel. I was told just how to place my hand on the Bible, Gods'
holy Word, and the oath began.

Are you still willing to take the obligations? say "aye". I did. Pronounce your
name in full, and I did.

And repeat after me "In the presence of Almighty God, in this worshipful lodge,
of entered apprentice... and it goes on. You find yourself saying, "I do promise
and swear that I won't reveal the secrets, that I will help aid and assist a
brother...."

Remember, every person who is a Mason has done this, every single one. It's
only the First degree. This pastor did it, too, but God forgave me. Hand on the
Bible, we say the words, "under the ancient penalty having my throat cut across,
my tongue torn out and buried in the sand of the sea where the tide ebbs and
flows twice in twenty-four hours, if I ever reveal the secrets of this lodge. "

I have secrets greater than that! And I want to make them known.

Jesus Christ is Lord and I'm not bound by any oath that is in violation of His law,
and His law says let your yes be yes and do not take any oath lest you come
under condemnation!

Now I really don't care if Masons get upset by that, as long as my God does not
condemn me. And every Mason ought to know that too.

The candidates' hands are placed on the Bible in Third degree, "binding myself
under no less a penalty than having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken
thence and burned to ashes & scattered to the four winds of heaven that there
might not remain tract, trace, or remembrance of so vile and perfect a wretch if I
should violate this, my obligation."

Would you let me pastor in your church if you knew I took that oath? Only the
Masons would have. God forgive me. And He has. That's why I speak out! And
you can find out and verify everything I'm saying. You think it's a secret society.
Down in your local library you can get the ritual book, you can get the
information about Masonry. There are numerous books now available in almost
every Christian bookstore.

Dear Friends, do you think still think Freemasonry is a Christian institution? Do
you really think a pastor ought to be involved in it? Are you going to be proud
to tell others that your pastor is a Mason? Or , are you going to be proud to tell
them that he got out?

Dear Mason, are you proud to be a Mason now? As you consider the rituals
you've taken part in during the daylight hours? Do you know the Junior

Warden says that he observes the Summit Meridian? That's sun worship, the
Senior Warden observes the sun as it sets in the West at the close of day, and the
Worshipful Master observes the sun in the East, there are three candles around
the altar, one for the Master of the lodge, one for the sun god, and one for the
moon god!

Do you know that one of the passwords to get into one of the York rite bodies is
"I AM THAT I AM"! Do you know who "I AM" is? "I AM" is JESUS CHRIST
HIMSELF!!!

Do you know that in the Knights' Templar degree, one of their degrees, the lodge
has a Bible on the altar, a skull on top of that and wine in the skull; and you take
a sip. Only one person does this for everybody. He takes a sip of the wine, and
then part of the obligation was that if he violates that obligation, not only your
sins but the sins of the person whose brain resided in the skull, and the sins of
Judas Iscariot would be upon you.

No Christian should ever, ever be a Mason.

I just want to deal with one scripture, the prayer of the Chaplain. In the Masonic
ritual, the Chaplains' prayer says "Most Holy and Glorious Lord God, Great
Architect of the Universe", So that's who you're talking to, right? "Thou hast
promised where two or three are gathered in Thy name. Thou wilt be in the
midst." Does that sound scriptural to you? Well, almost.

The Scripture is, "Where two or three are gathered in MY NAME, I will be in
their midst". And the difference is their "Thy" refers to the Masonic god,
JAHBULON. In the real Scripture, the "MY" refers to JESUS CHRIST!

There's the big difference. You see, the name of JESUS can't be mentioned in the
lodge room. Not even by a Grand Chaplain to end his prayer.

Dear Christian, is you're a Mason, I plead with you to hear my words. Run from
Freemasonry to save your own soul.

And women, if you're in a Masonic-related body, the Amaranth, the Eastern
Star, the White Shrine, RUN FROM THEM!

If the base and the foundation of Masonry are rotten, you don't want to be on the
fourteenth floor of a building with a crumbling foundation, do you? Well, let me
tell you, it's not just the foundation that crumbling, the structure is too.

Did you know that the Eastern Star symbol is the inverted Five-pointed star?
Now I'm going to share with you about this star.

One of the founders of the Eastern Star, the man who wrote all the ritual, Rob
Morris, chose that five-pointed star. He selected it for a specific reason out of
Mythology; it is the Goat of Mendez! And ladies did you know that the Goat of
Mendez is the god of lust? What a jokester that Mason was. How blasphemous!
That he would choose a symbol for his wife and his children to be a part of that is
the Goat of Mendez, the god of lust.

Well, they don't think of it that way. Let me show you. An extended debate, in
Michigan, yielded this result on whether or not to change the symbol. "This
emblem, which has been our symbol, although evil, has been redeemed by the
good works of its members. " This symbol, although evil, Who said it was evil?

The Grand Chapter of the State of Michigan! ...Has been redeemed by the good works
of its members. Biblical salvation is through Christ alone. Never by good works!

I'm not going to give an altar call here. I'm going to do it just the reverse. I'm
going to call you to run FROM an altar this morning. If you're a Mason, I'm
calling you to run from that Masonic altar.

I'm going to call women in the Eastern Star and the Amaranth to run from their
Masonic meeting place, from that altar, get out! Don't stay for a friend. Don't
stay for a relative. Don't stay for a Masonic funeral.

Continuance in this cultic, demonic diversion from the Christian walk WILL
sentence you to HELL! That's according to Gods' Word, not mine. You may not
have another day.

If you're not in, stay out! You see, salvation is not by works as Masons claim.
Salvation is only by Gods' grace through JESUS CHRIST and HIS shed blood.
And if you don't believe that, you're not a Christian! And if you do believe it.
Dear Friend, You should NOT be a Mason!

I really thank you for taking the time and for letting me unburden my heart this
morning on this subject. To let you know why I came out of Masonry. I hope

you understand the love and concern that compelled me to do that. Yes, even at
the risk of my very life.

Charles G. Finney documents is his book seven men who have lost their lives.

My son, Mark was at a meeting with me Saturday and he told me he was
concerned about a person that was there. Because he was afraid of what might
happen. He doesn't want to lose his father, but he knows that if, if I should die, I
win.

You know, when I came out of Masonry, I called my son as he got home from
school and told him that I'd left the Masonic Fraternity. It was just one year after
I was elected Grand Chaplain and he stood in the highest place of honor, and
placed on my neck the Grand Chaplains' jewel.

You know what he said? You know what he told me? "Dad, I've been praying
for that for two years." A son of mine had been praying that I'd come out of
Masonry! He even had a videotape to explain Masonry in the house! But
because it wasn't the right time, he let it go.

I called my daughter. I told her that night that I came out of Masonry. You know
what she said? "I'm glad. Dad. Praise The Lord! I've been praying for that for
four years! " I didn't come out easy. But I came out with a lot of friends!

Dear Christian Friends, don't be upset if a member of your family is in Masonry.
You pray. If you're a Mason, hear my words and come out, so the people don't
have to continue to pray for you, year after year after year! And the people of
God said: Amen

CHAPTER SIX

They Say, We Have Seen His Star in the East
And Are Come to Worship Him!

Evangelist Deloris Johnson
10831 SW 156th Street
Miami, FL 33157

In addressing the issue on the Order of the Eastern Star, or it's parent
organization. The Masonic Lodge, many well intentioned people have joined the
ranks of these Orders on the presupposition that they are based on the belief in
the true and living God. However, a closer examination of its origin, character,
adepts, rituals, and the similarity of rites performed in the mystery religions of
antiquity will no doubt challenge every sincere individual, to weigh the facts as
to who is being worshipped in these Orders.

The message then, is not one of condemnation, but rather an appeal to those who
love God, and are dedicated to His worship alone.

The Order of the Eastern Star takes it's name and general motto from Matthew
2:2b, "For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (1)

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King,
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that
is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to

worship him.

The wise men came from the east to Jerusalem in search for this newborn King,
in order to worship him. The star did not appear to them in the east, but
appeared to them from the west. Israel was forbidden to worship the host of
heaven, which consists of the sun, moon, and stars.

" And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and
the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest he driven to
worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all
nations under the whole heaven. " (Deuteronomy 4:19)

In the Bible, we find and account of idolatrous worship restored by Manasseh in
the house of the Lord, that God considered evil and an abominable practice like
unto the heathens.

"Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In
Jerusalem shall my name be for ever, and he built altars for all the host of heaven
in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his children to pass
through the fire in the valley of the son ofHinnom: also he observed times, and
used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and
with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to
anger.

"And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of
which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in

Jerusalem which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name
for ever ..." (II Chronicles 33:4-7, 9)

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do
worse than all the heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of
Israel.

The Masonic temple, is supposed to be a prototype of Solomon's Temple, which
was in those days, the house of God. In Masonic symbolism, the temple of mortal
life is symbolically represented by the Temple of King Solomon that was on
Mount Moriah.

Like Manasseh, it is therefore possible to be engaged in idolatrous worship even
in an edifice erected to God. In Amos 5:26, Israel was guilty of having a
tabernacle for the images of their god.

" But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the
star of your god, which ye made to your selves. Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of
Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship
them : and I zvill carry you away beyond Babylon (Acts 7:43)

The wise men who came in search for Christ, were not preoccupied with his star,
except that, it made them aware that a King was born. They sought the one for
whom the star represented, and his name was Jesus.

If those who are involved in Eastern Star are really seeking the King represented
by that star, then Jesus would be the central focus of all that is done to the end

that souls are saved; and less emphasis would be placed on going through a
labyrinth of rituals, and taking oaths of secrecy, but rather to the altar in
repentance and true salvation, recognizing the cross and the shed blood of Jesus
Christ.

To the Mason or Eastern Star the East has other special significance. Not in the
sense of seeing Christ's star, but symbolically in gaining power and knowledge.

The East is one of the four cardinal points. It is the direction in which the sun
rises and consequently the East symbolizes power and knowledge.

The woman in the East is symbolic of knowledge and the man in the East
symbolizes justice. Since all virtuous and desirable things are found symbolically
represented in the Chapter Room, it becomes the duty of the Man and the
Woman in the East to see that all of these elements are preserved. It is equally the
duty of all of the officers and members alike to see that none of these things is
defiled. ( 3 )

The question then is, what is the insignia of the Eastern Star representative of? Is
it the light of Christ or of Satan who transforms himself into an angel of light,
according to II Corinthians 11:14?

Origin and History

Adoptive Lodges such as the Eastern Star have existed during different periods
in Masonic history. Its degrees were considered to be Androgynous, or degrees

for both men and women; but because of lack of uniformity it's efforts usually
failed.

Masonry for women, or Adoptive Lodges, of various kinds, would spring up
from time to time. The widow of Charles I of England, daughter of Henry IV,
and sister of Louis XIII of France, is said to have been the author of Adoptive
Masonry, in the seventeenth century. She is said to have formed a society of
women to whom she communicated certain signs and passwords.

In 1712, in Russia, Catherine the Czarina obtained from Peter the Great,
permission to found the Order of St. Catherine, an Order of Knighthood for
women only, of which she was proclaimed Grand Mistress. This was a quasi-
Masonic body.

In the eighteenth century there were four Grand Mistresses of the Order of St.
John of Jerusalem, which was an emanation of early Masonry.

There is also a story to the effect that Female Freemasonry originated in Holland
in 1741, through a woman who secretly witnessed the initiation of her father into
the Masonic Order. This is scarcely credited.

In 1771 the Order of Perseverance was established at Paris by several Nobles and
Ladies. It was said to have originated in Poland, but had little of the Masonic
Character about it.

The real date of the establishment of Adoptive Masonry in France, however, may
be placed as 1775, when the Duchess of Bourbon was appointed to the position of

Grand Mistress of Adoptive Masonry. Her installation was a very fashionable
function, in which about a thousand persons of the elite of French society are
said to have assisted.

In 1801 Adoptive Masonry established itself in Holland, where it reigned until
June, 1810, when it was peremptorily forbidden.

Adoptive Degrees

The Adoptive Rite consisted of four degrees: Apprentice, Companion, Mistress
and Perfect Mistress. The first degree was purely symbolical and introductory,
intended rather to improve the mind than to convey any definite idea of the
institution.

The second degree depicted the scene of the temptation in Eden, and the
Companion was reminded in a lecture of the penalty incurred by the fall.

The third degree alluded to the Tower of Babel an the confusion of tongues as a
symbol of a badly regulated lodge, while Jacob's Ladder was introduced as a
moral lesson of order and harmony.

The fourth degree represented Moses and Aaron and their wives, and the sons of
Aaron. The ceremonies referred to the passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites,
and the degree was said to symbolize the passage of men from the world of
change and discord to a pure land of rest and peace.

The officers of a Lodge of Adoption consisted of Grand Master, Grand Mistress,
Orator, Inspector, Inspectress, Depositor, Depositrix, Conductor, and
Conductress. The business of each lodge was conducted by the Sisters, the
Brethren being looked upon as assistants only.

The room was divided into four sections: the west representing Europe; the east,
Asia; the south, Africa; and north, America. Two thrones were erected in the East
for the Grand Master and the Grand Mistress, before them was placed an altar,
while to their right and left were placed eight statues representing Wisdom,
Prudence, Strength, Temperance, Elonor, Charity, Justice and Truth.

The members sat in two rows, to right and left, at right angles to the two
presiding officers: the Brethren armed with swords in the back rows, and the
Sisters in the front rows. ( 4 )

Eventually, many societies or adoptive rites were organized in the United States;
none were successful until 1868, when Mr. Robert Morris of Kentucky,
developed the degrees in its Initiatory form and giving the order the name. The
Eastern Star

His aim was to involve female relatives of masons, who up to this time, were not
eligible to receive Masonic degrees. Through Adoptive Masonry, women were
instructed on the proper mode of recognition when among Masons, how to use
signs, passes and Cabalistic mottos in order to secure help in times of distress.
Likewise, the Masons would be able to enlist support from the women for their
charitable endeavors.

The first chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star was organized in Mississippi
before the Civil war, but interest lagged until the organization was perfected in
1868. Robert Morris, the inventor of the Order, was a Mason in high standing,
and the author of Masonic textbooks of standard authority with the craft. The
Order of the Eastern Star is modeled after Freemasonry to a certain extent, and
has been called Adoptive Masonry, or the Adoptive Rite (5)

The history of the Eastern Star can be broken up into three era's, which are:

The first Era extended from 1850 to 1866, under the leadership of Dr. Rob
Morris, Poet Laureate of Masonry.

The Second Era extended from 1860 to 1876, under the leadership of
Robert MaCoy of New York.

The Third Era extends from 1876, when the General Grand Chapter, Order
of the Eastern Star, was established, to the present time. (6)

In the Eastern Star, there are three governing bodies: (1) General Grand Chapter,
(2) Grand Chapter, and (3) Subordinate chapters. On 24 February 1937, the
dedication for the International Eastern Star Temple and headquarters took place
in what was once the Perry Belmont Mansion, in Washington, D.C.

Officer Stations of the Eastern Star

A complete chapter requires 17 officers, with not less than nine officers present
when conferring degrees.

The chapter is symbolically arranged to represent the four cardinal points of the
compass. Situated in the East are the Worthy Patron, and the Worthy Matron. In
the West is the Associate Matron. In the North is the Associate Conductress and
in the South is the Conductress.

The other officers are the Treasurer, Secretary, Chaplain, Marshall, Warder,
Sentinel, and organist, which are stationed in various areas within the chapter.

In the center of the chapter is a five pointed star with an altar and an open Bible.
The five pointed star also represents the five points of Fellowship in Masonry.
(Foot-to-foot, knee-to-knee, breast- to-breast, hand-to-back, and cheek-to-cheek.)

It is here that the five Central Jewels are stationed; representing the offices of the
five heroines honoring each degree. There is a special significance ascribed to
each. Each ray consists of the five mystical colors. Four of the degrees are
associated with the seasons or equinoxes and solstices.

Heroine

Mystical Season

Foundation

Degree:

Colors: Eg./Sol: Flower:

Stone:

Adah Blue

Spring

Violet Turquoise

Ruth

Yellow Summer Jasmine

Topaz

Esther

White

Lily

Diamond

Martha

Green Winter

Fern

Emerald

Electa Red

Autumn

Rose

Ruby

Initiation and Ritual

After the chapter is officially called to order by the Worthy Patron, the Worthy
Matron presides in the east. The officers take their stations, and at the proper
time, each officer declares the purpose of their office. After the regular business
meeting takes place, if there are any candidates to be received by initiation, the
Associate Conductress goes to the preparation room and begins to prepare the
Candidate(s).

A.C.: Do you believe in a Divine Being, who is God of the Universe?

Candidate: Yes, I do.

A.C.: Friend, this life is a labyrinth through which we all roam blindly
and, alas, all too frequently in ignorance. It is well to learn from the
experience of others, profiting by their wisdom and example. Those whom
experience has taught may impart their knowledge to the unenlightened.
Allow me therefore, as one who knows the intricate mazes of our Rite, to
act as your counselor at this time, preparing you for the ceremonies of
initiation.

[Following this speech the Associate Conductress proceeds in the preparation of
the candidate, removing her hat, gloves and wrap. She then throws a thin white
veil over the head and face of the candidate and conducts her to the door leading
into the Chapter room. The associate Conductress gives the usual raps.] (7)

From this point on, more dialogue takes place as the Associate Conductress
escorts the candidate(s) waiting to receive the degrees of the Order. The lights

may be lowered and soft music played during the entrance of the candidate and
the following speech of the Conductress. The Conductress opens the door and
leads the candidate into the room. (8)

More dialogue takes place in which the candidate is introduced to the officers.
The candidate (s) is welcomed into the chapter and is told the purpose of the
Order of the Eastern Star. Each candidate is asked to make a solemn pledge
before the secrets of the degrees are communicated.

"But before I can communicate to you the secrets of the Eastern Star
degrees, whereby you can make yourselves known to Masons, it is
necessary that each of you should make a solemn pledge of honor that
those secrets shall be kept inviolably in your possession.

For any one of you to go out and expose to others what we so secretly tell
you here would not only be fatal to your own character for truth, but
would destroy all the advantages of the Order itself. Its great value
consists in its being kept in the hands of proper persons. I am happy to
inform you that, although many thousands of ladies have received it, and
they, scattered through every section of the country, no instance is on
record of any lady having dishonorably exposed it. Nor, indeed, do we
fear that such a misfortune can ever occur.

A lady who makes us a pledge of honor, such as I require of you, pledges
her very soul; the honor of a woman is more to her than life itself. Those of
you, therefor, who give us such security, may safely be trusted with our
most cherished secrets. (9)

The candidate being willing to assume the obligation, pledges her soul in
exchange of receiving the secrets of the Order. The Conductress leads the
candidate to the altar to receive the obligation.

The candidate is led to the Altar while music is played or sung. While she kneels,
facing the East, a Bible is placed in her hands. She holds it open against her
breast, fingers interlaced over the book, thumbs holding the edges against her
breast. The music continues softly. The Worthy Patron calls the Chapter to rise
(by the three gavel blows), and he himself takes his position at the East of the
altar. Tie gives the Obligation, which is repeated by the candidate. (10)

After the chapter is seated, the 'Covenant of Adoption' is shared with the
candidate (s). The 'Covenant of Adoption is a spiritual submission to the
authority of Masonry and its god. The candidate comes into relationship with
and is a partaker of the rights and privileges of the Order. Yet, in Romans 8:15, it
says.

"For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

The Conductress takes the candidate around the star to the first degree
represented by "Adah" or the first ray. As the initiate is taken through the
labyrinth, she is taught signs and passes that are used to open the "Five Gates of
the Order".

If the purpose of the Order is to worship Jesus; Christ himself said, "I am the way ,
the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6b)

No where in scripture does it instruct the church that in order to worship the
Lord, or to be recognized by other believers, we must pledge our souls in order
to take an obligation, receiving secret signs and passes as part of our worship.

There are five degrees in the Eastern Star represented by five heroines, whose
stories allegedly are based on the scriptures. To study the different text as
presented in the Bible, in contrast to that found in the degrees is quite a notable
difference.

In the first degree, or Daughter's Degree, we find an allusion to the story of
Jephtah's daughter found in the eleventh chapter of the book of Judges. Jephtah,
in desiring that the Ammonites be delivered into his hands, made a vow to God
saying.

"Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet
me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the
Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. " (Judges 11:31)

Further study reveals that upon his return, his daughter, (name not given in
scripture), was the first to come out to meet him. Seeing her, he rent his clothes,
because he could not go back on his vow. The truth of the matter is that his
daughter was not killed.

"And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord,
do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; for as much as
the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of
Ammon.

And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two
months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my
virginity, I and my fellows.

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her
companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass as the end of two months, that she returned unto her father,
who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no
man. And it ums a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to
lament the daughter ofjephtah the Gileadite four days in a year." (Judges 11:36-
40).

Contrary to the scriptures, the sign of this degree alludes to Adah's refusal of
having her face covered before being killed.

SIGN: "A lady having a veil on, in the usual manner, first pulls it down
over her face, then three times in succession raises it, by taking one corner
with the right and the other with the left hand, and when lifting it the
third time throws the veil over the top of her head, and holding on to the
corner looks up ... A Mason seeing this sign takes a card, writes his name

on one side of it, and on the other writes, Alas, my daughter! Which is the
pass." (11)

The second degree, is the "Widow's Degree", which is taken from the story of
Ruth. In the book of Ruth, it tells the story of a family from Bethlehem-Judah,
who during the time of famine moved to Moab. After continuing there the
husband of Naomi died. Later her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion died, who were
married to women of Moab.

Sometime thereafter, Naomi heard how that the Lord had visited his people,
decided to return back to her homeland. It was then she encouraged both her
daughter-in-laws to return to their families. But it was Ruth who refused to leave
her side.

"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after
thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy
people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and
there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part
thee and me.

(Ruth 1:16-17)

The story in this degree, is portrayed differently. Ruth was of the nation of Moab,
an idolatrous people. She married a man named Mahlon, formerly a citizen of
Bethlehem, who had taken up his residence in the land of Moab, where he died.
He was a worshiper of God, and by his pious example and teachings she was
converted to the true religion, a few happy years followed, and then the calamity
of widowhood came upon her. Upon his death-bed he solemnly exhorted her, for

her soul's sake, to leave the dangerous company in which she would be thrown,
and go to the city of Bethlehem, where dwelt the people of God. (12)

The scriptures, do not support the details presented in this degree in that Malhon
was a true worshiper of God and as a result, Ruth was converted. It was her
mother-in-law that she was so drawn to and made a commitment to serve her
God.

SIGN: "Take anything convenient, as a handkerchief or newspaper, in
each hand, to represent handfuls of barley heads, filling the hands and
sticking out a few inches. Then extend the hands in front as if to display
their contents, and next cross the wrists on the breast, the contents of each
hand pointing upward toward the shoulders, also looking upward. The
sign alludes to Ruth holding out two handfuls of barley to Boaz, and
appealing mutely to God. A Mason seeing this sign, writes his name on
one side of a card, and on the other writes, "Who is this?" which is the pass
of this degree." (13)

The third degree, is the "Wife's Degree", based on the story of Esther, who
became queen in place of Vashti. After Mordecai learned of Hainan's plot to kill
the Jews, he sent messages to Esther, part of which he said,

". . Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than
all the Jezvs. For if thou altogether boldest thy peace at this time, then shall there
enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and
thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to
the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13b-14)

In this degree, please note that it is explained that Esther, often gave counsel to
the king and that he often admitted his indebtedness to her. "No sooner did she
learn of this cruel edict than she promptly resolved to save her people or perish
in the same destruction. The king had often admitted his indebtedness to her any
request she might make of him, even 'to the half of the kingdom' . ." ( 14 )

SIGN: "Lay open right hand on the breast, then on top of head, then throw
hand forward and upward, palm out, and height of the eyes.

The sign alludes to the manner of Queen Esther's appearance before King
Ahasuerus, as explained in the history of the degree.

A Mason seeing this sign writes on one side of a card his name, and on the
other side, "What wilt thou?" which is the pass of this degree, and presents
the card to the lady." ( 15 )

The fourth degree or "Sister's Degree" is based on the story of Martha whose
brother Lazarus had died and was brought back to life by Jesus, found in St. John
11:1-45. According to this degree,

" . . The structure of Freemasonry in its obligations, emblems, and
principles is so peculiar, that we. Master Masons, above all other men, are
taught to respect undeviating faith in the hour of trial. The great doctrines
of Masonry are all borrowed from the Bible. Our devotion to Masonry is
chiefly founded upon this, that we believe the Bible to be the Word of

God, and therefore our principles, which are derived from the Bible, were
written by the finger of God ..." (16)

In Morris' Dictionary, Article "Christian Masonry," we read:

"The Orders of Knight Templar and Knights of Malta together with many
of the degrees and orders in Scotch Masonry are intensely Christian in
their doctrines, their ceremonies also embody events in the life of Christ.
Some of the side and adoptive degrees have the same reference i.e.., the
Cross and Crown, etc. This fact of course forfeits the claim of such degrees
and orders to be styled Universal Masonry." (17)

SIGN: "Clasp hands, and kneeling, look upward in an imploring manner.
The sign alludes to the appeal of Martha on first meeting Christ after the
death of her brother Lazarus.

A Mason seeing this sign writes his name on one side of a card, and on the
other writes, "Believest thou this?' which is the pass of this degree. He
then hands the lady the card. (18)

The Fifth is the Benevolent Degree or "Mother's Degree". It is taken from II John,
in which the elder mentioned in this scripture is referred to as the elect lady.
Nowhere is she mentioned as "Electa" as so named in this degree. An elaborate
story is told how that she came from a noble family, was wealthy, and lived in a
mansion. Years later, she faced martyrdom and would not recant her faith in
Jesus Christ.

Subsequently, her family was put in a dungeon, and later martyred. The
scriptures do not support this.

SIGN: "Hands crossed on the breast as if clasping something to her bosom,
at the same time looking up. The sign alludes to Electa's clasping the
crucifix to her bosom, representing her love for the Saviour.

A Mason seeing this sign writes his name on one side of a card, and on the
other writes, 'Love one another,' which is the pass of this degree." (19)

After being received into the Order, prayer is made, the candidate (s) is
reminded of the solemn obligation taken. The Conductress then assists by
demonstration. The cabalistic word is F.A.T.A.L., and the cabalistic motto that is,
"Fairest Among Thousands, Altogether Lovely."

Eastern Star Funeral and Memorial Service

When a member in good standing of the Eastern Star dies, the Chapter sends a
flower arrangement shaped as a five-pointed star, made up of the mystical colors
of the Order.

It is interesting to note that regardless of whether or not a person confesses
Christ as Savior, by the mere fact of being in the Order, qualifies the deceased to
be in the company of the saints.

"W.M.: Sisters and Brethren, in this thoughtful hour we have met together
to tender our offerings of respect and love for our departed sister, and to

reveal our sympathy for those to whom she was nearest and dearest. In
the midst of our sorrow we are confronted with serious thoughts. We
reflect that this dear sister but yesterday was one of us, and today is gone,
leaving this beautiful world of ours for that building of God, a house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

She has passed beyond the influence of earthly praise or blame. She is
ready for the Divine summons, "Come ye blessed of my Father, receive the
kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”

M

Our sister walked among us in constancy and with courage, and in
departing she has left a tender memory of her virtues and loveliness. She
has finished her course in faith, and she has laid hold on eternal life.

Before our Altar she studied with us the high principles of our order, and
hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. In her life she
exemplified the noble virtues taught in our Order.

She was true to her convictions of right, faithful to her duty, constant and
loyal to friends and family, hopeful and trusting, in time of trouble, and
always charitable and truthful. Having served God with constancy on
earth she will be hereafter with the blessed company of His saints." (20)

Each year a memorial service is held to honor those members who have died
during the year. The altar is draped in black and an Urn and other items used by
the deceased when they were alive are used in conjunction with music and
songs. A list of names are read and a speaker makes a memorial address.

In Ezekiel 8:14, a similar practice was taking place.

"Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward
the north; and, behold, there sat women wee-ping for Tammuz." (They were
having a memorial service for Tammuz.)

Tammuz was "a Syrian idol mentioned in Ez. viii. 14, where the women are
represented as weeping for it. It is generally supposed that Tammuz was the
same deity as the Phoenician Adonis. The fabled death and restoration of
Adonis, supposed to symbolize the departure and return of the sun, were
celebrated at the summer solstice with lamentations first, and then rejoicing and
obscene revels." (21)

To get a better understanding of Tammuz, we must refer back to Nimrod, who
according to Genesis 10:8-10, became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty
hunter before the Lord and began to establish his kingdom, the first of which
was Babel. Subsequently, he became the leader and king. This was the beginning
of his kingdom.

Who is BAAL? (G.F. Taylor) - "Baal is a contraction of the Hebrew word Balal,
meaning "to confound". It is from this same word that Babel is derived. So, in fact,
Baal and Babel come from the same word in Hebrew. At once, it becomes evident
that Baal, inasmuch as he was once a man, was a Babylonian. Just as we are
called Americans, from the name of the continent on which we live; just as others
are called British, others French, etc.; so this man was called Baal, because he
was in some way connected with Babel ..." (22)

The worship of Nimrod would become known as the worship of Baal. His wife
Semiramis was also worshipped as a goddess. As different cultures developed,
this same worship became known under different names.

In mythology, versions may differ in culture, but the nature of the legend is
essentially the same of his death and resurrection. Which is also reenacted in the
Legend of Hiram Abiff. Not only did Nimrod become the sun or vegetation god,
who was also the reincarnated Tammuz, or son of Nimrod and Semiramis. In the
Egyptian culture, this trinity is known as Isis, Osiris, and Horus.

"The Sumerians themselves knew that Ninurta was the same as the "vegetation
god", Damuzi (or Tammuz), "son of the Appsu" - the shepherd of mankind
whom classical mythology knew as Adonis and whose catastrophic departure or
death became the focus of ritual lamentations for many hundred of years. " (23)

In ancient ritual Saturn appears as the stationary sun or central fire at the north celestial
pole.

When Saturn ruled the world, his home was the summit of the world axis: with
this point all major traditions of the great father agree. Even today, in our
celebration of Christmas, we live under the influence of the polar Saturn. For as
Manly P. Hall observes,

"Saturn, the old man who lives at the north pole, and brings with him to
the children of men a sprig of evergreen (the Christmas tree), is familiar to
the little folks under the name Santa Claus.

"Santa Claus, descending yearly from his polar home to distribute gifts
around the world, is a muffled echo of the Universal Monarch, the
primordial Osiris, Yama, or Kronos spreading miraculous good fortune.
His polar abode, which might appear as an esoteric aspect of the story, is
in fact an ancient and central ingredient. Saturn, the "best sun" and king of
the world, ruled from the polar zenith. But while popular tradition locates
Santa Clause at the Geographical pole, the earlier traditions place his
prototype, the Universal Monarchy, at the celestial pole, the pivot of the
revolving heavens." ( 24 )

"In the ancient Egyptian Heb-Sed festival," he goes on, " the king ascends to the
throne of Osiris, where he is deified as the great god's successor. To certify his
authority as Universal Monarch, he launches four arrows toward the four
corners, then assumes his throne, turning to the four cardinal points in
succession.

"By facing the four directions the king repeats the feat of the great god; for the
Universal Monarch, occupying the steadfast center (or fifth region), ceaselessly
turned round about, sending his rays of life through the four divisions of unified
space.

"The classical historian Diodorus tells us that when the name Osiris is translated
into Greek it means "many-eyed" - "and properly so; for in shedding his rays in
every direction he surveys with many eyes, as it were, all land and sea." To
Osiris, Herodotus compares the Greek Dionysus - a god who, in the Bacchic
Hymn, shines "like a star, with a fiery eye in every ray."

"By facing the four directions and by sending forth the four directional streams,
the Universal Monarch becomes the god of four faces or four eyes. Homage to
thee, O thou who hast four faces,

reads a line of the Pyramid Texts. Osiris, as the Ram of Mendes, is the god of
four faces on one neck.

"The Hindu Atharva Veda speaks of the "four heavenly directions, having the
wind as lord, upon which the sun looks out." This, or course, can only be the
central sun, who is Brahma, a god of four faces. The myths also attribute four
faces to Shiva. The central sun Pragapati takes the form of the four-eyed, four-
faced, and four- armed Vivvakarman, the "all maker." Agni, too, faces in all
directions,
as does Krishna . . .

". . . There can no longer be any doubt that the four-eyed or four-faced god is
Saturn, for the sun-planet appears in Babylonian myth as Ea (Sumerian Enki) - a
god of four eyes that "Behold all things." The Phoenician El-Saturn has four eyes,
as does the Orphic Kronos (Saturn). The Chinese Yellow Emperor Huang-ti _
identified as Saturn - is also four-eyed.

"The four eyes, or four faces, become intelligible only in connection with the five
regions - the polar center and the four divisions ranged around it.

"Residing at the immovable center of the Cosmos, Saturn was the stone or rock of
foundation - the prototype of the cornerstone (situated where the four corners
meet). The four beams of light which radiated from the Saturnian stone appeared

to sustain the world wheel at its "four corners", so that, in many myths, the life-
bearing streams are synonymous with the "four pillars of the world."

"In the mystical traditions reviewed by Manly P. Hall (Masonic, Hermetic,
Qabalistic, Rosi crucian, etc.), the planet Saturn looms as the elementary power of
creation. The planet-god "was always worshipped under the symbol of the base
or footing, inasmuch as he was considered to be the substructure upholding
creation," states Hall. (25)

I know that this was a long series of quotes on the subject. But, notice the
similarities of the rays or four cardinal points and the role of the Worthy Patron
(Master Mason), whose throne is in the east, in comparison with and the worship
of the star-god, Saturn.

F.A.T.A.L.

The five-pointed star or Pentagram, is the signet of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Yet, it is known by many other names in Occult circles, such as, Sirus, the Blazing
Star, and the Pentalpha. This star is not the "star of Bethlehem", but is commonly
used in ritual magic. Its prince is not Jesus Christ . . . but the prince of darkness.

Mr. Larry Kunk, cited a very interesting statement made by Mr. Albert Pike,
"Lucifer, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of
Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with
its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish Souls? Doubt it not!

"(26)

The star is also the symbol of Baphomet of Mendes, (the Satanic Goat), or Osiris,
which is the centerpiece of "Adoptive Masonry", the order of the Eastern Star..

ENDNOTES

1 Shirley Plessner, Symbolism of the Eastern Star (Chicago: The Charles T.
Powner Co., 1956), pp. 195-196.

2 James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(Lynchburg: The Old Time Gospel Hour) p. 63 ref. #4481.

3 Shirley Plessner, Symbolism of the Eastern Star (Chicago: The Charles T.
Powner Co., 1956), pp. 50-51.

4 F.A. Bell, Order of the Eastern Star (Chicago: Ezra A. Cook Publications,
Ltd., 1992), pp. 12-15.

5 Ibid., p. 18.

6 General Grand Chapter, History of the Order of the Eastern Star (Chicago:
The Charles T. Powner Co., 1989), p. 18.

7 F.A. Bell, Order of the Eastern Star (Chicago: Ezra A. Cook Publications,
Ltd., 1992), pp. 61-62.

8

Ibid., p. 63.

9 Thomas Lowe, Adoptive Masonry Eastern Star Ritual (Chicago: Ezra A.

Cook Publications) pp. 23-24.

10 F.A. Bell, Order of the Eastern Star (Chicago

Ltd., 1992), p. 66.

: Ezra A. Cook Publications,

11 Thomas Lowe, Adoptive Masonry Eastern Star Ritual (Chicago: Ezra A.

Cook Publications) p. 31.

12

Ibid., 36-37.

13

Ibid., 39.

14

Ibid., 44.

15

Ibid., 46.

16

Ibid., 53.

17

Ibid., 54.

18

Ibid., 52.

19

Ibid., 59.

20 F.A. Bell, Order of the Eastern Star (Chicago

Ltd., 1992), 197-198.

: Ezra A. Cook Publications,

21 William Smith, Smith's Bible Dictionary (Westwood: Barbour and
Company, Inc., 1987), 300.

22 International Seminary, Be Successful in Your Ministry I (Plymouth:
International Seminary), Series: 2 /Lecture: 31 p.2.

23 David N. Talbott, The Saturn Man (Garden City: Doubleday & Company,
1980), 17.

24 Ibid., 42.

25 Ibid., 133-134.

26 Larry Kunk, Freemasonry: The Secret Doctrine (Fishers: Ephesians 5:11,
93), 22.

Bibliography

Bell, F. A. Order of the Eastern Star. Chicago: Ezra A. Cook Publications, 1992.

General Grand Chapter. Elistory of the Order of the Eastern Star. Chicago:
Charles T. Powner Co., 1989.

Kunk, Larry. Freemasonry: The Secret Doctrine: Ephesians 5:11, 1993.

Lowe, Thomas. Adoptive Masonry Eastern Star Ritual. Chicago: Ezra A. Cook,
Publisher.

Plessner, Shirley. Symbolism of the Eastern Star. Chicago: The Charles T. Powner
Co., 1956.

Smith, William. Smith's Bible Dictionary. Westwood: Barbour Books, 1987.

Strong, S.T.D., Ll.D., James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.
Lynchburg: The Old-Time Gospel Hour, unknown.

Talbott, David N. The Saturn Man. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc.,
1980.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Beware The Evil Workers

Rev. Daniel D. Carlen
504 Spring Valley Drive
Columbia, TN 38401

I'm from Tennessee, the Columbia area, down where the new Saturn car is being
made. I live just down the road from the great big Saturn plant. In our county we
still have sheriffs, and they are a real tough bunch. Everyone has their favorite
Sheriff story. One of the local pastors called up our county sheriff and he said,
"Sheriff, could you send one of your men by? I've got a dead skunk in my
driveway." And the sheriff, very perturbed said, "Now wait just a minute, we are
busy, we are trying to enforce the law, serve papers on people and you want me
to come by and pick up a dead skunk?" And the pastor kind of thought about it
for just a moment and he said, 'Yes I do. " The sheriff said, " Now wait a minute,
don't you preachers bury the dead?" and the Pastor said, "well, yes we do . That's
why I called. Normally we notify the next of kin first. "

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ is a history of attack from without and
from within. This is particularly true, as we know, from the book of Acts,
chapters Four and Five. Immediately, from its inception the Church was
attacked. I mean immediately! We see that today it hasn't stopped, it continues
and what we hear at this conference today just helps to verify that we are dealing
with age old principles that have come all the way down through history from
Satan's first appearance among mankind in Genesis, chapter Three. The principle
indeed was established.

Now, as one who relishes the study of church history, both in the Word of God
and without, I have found that a whole lot of skunks have taken up residence
within the Church. In fact, I found that these skunks tend to drive more people
out the door than they draw in. As we think about this comparison, I think that
as pastors, we are too often relegated to the task of being caretakers of the dead.
You know what I'm saying.

If there is one thing I have noticed in my ministry, it is that we tend to get
accustomed to and comfortable with the odor of skunks in our midst. When the
fresh air of the Word of God comes in with the freshness of the power of the
Holy Spirit, it blows a fire across the congregation and the firemen will come in
and the skunks will rise up. There will be the firemen trying to put out the fire
and those skunks will be releasing their odor trying to drive out the fresh smell
of the Holy Spirit. And a lot of the saints go out the back door. And the pastor is
left to be the caretaker of the dead even more so. That's a true picture of more
churches than we would want to admit to.

So we are faced with how do we handle that situation. I found in the book of
Philippi such comfort. I thought that today as I prepared this I wanted to bring
something that was not from a standpoint of being an expert on Freemasonry,
because that I am not. I in fact, I confess I'm very much a novice at this. But I am
an expert on being a pastor trying to live through a death grip battle with the
skunks in the congregation.

"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same

things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who
glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— (Phil. 3:1-3 )

As I began to develop my message for this conference, I realized that the
Philippian churches had some of the same skunk problems as the church in
Mount Pleasant, where I pastored. I was the pastor of First Baptist church of
Mount Pleasant from 1987 to 1993 and in my years of ministry there I,
unfortunately, got to know the skunks better than I got to know those with the
sweet smell of the Holy Spirit.

I knew them all too well, had many meetings with them over the years, but I
didn't really perceive where of the odor was coming from. I really didn't
understand the root cause of the spiritual conflict and oppression that I felt. As
my ministry continued and I began to realize as I was dealing with the situation
as a novice, the power of prayer became such a key important thing in my life.

If you know anything about your pastor, whatever his or your background,
please pray for him. You need to pray for him to have discernment and some
spiritual sensitivity. With these things in mind, I want to share three things with
you of from Philippians 3:2.

Paul writes to this very new church at Philippi, still in its infant stage, a church
that was made up of Roman military soldiers, by and large most of them retired.
Augustus Ceasar had sent them way out on the frontier to kind of be a buffer for

all the hordes that might come out of Asia to bring down the Roman Empire.
They built the wonderful place of Philippi, what a well-known place it was
indeed. It prospered and grew.

One of the key things about Philippi you must know is the Philippian church
was made up of predominantly military families who had been planted there.
They were so accustomed to authority that when Paul came on the scene and
shared Jesus Christ, they immediately came under the authority of Jesus Christ
and the church became a glorious church.

Many joyous things are written there but there was also a hint of problems in the
church and a concern, a warning that Paul wanted to leave with them. And the
three thing that Paul warned them about, pertain to many of the things going on
in our churches today, whether you are in an established work or a new work
like I am. I unfold these three, I would like to tell you briefly, my story.

The first warning was to beware of the dogs. You know, the dogs start barking
for your dismissal in the church, I found out. But you have to be aware of the
dogs and to know what a dog is. you've got to define terms. And as you think of
the term dog, it is from the Greek word, "Kuon," from which we get the word,
"Canis", or canine. The word does not refer to a household pet, but to the
prowling, untamed ones without a home or owner. They were scavengers,
garbage eaters.

They didn't have garbage disposals in those days. So, guess where they threw
the garbage? Even Jesus had to deal with this. They threw it out into the streets.
Not only was it the garbage and the left overs, these dogs ate, but also the

refuse from the slop jars. And believe me, you knew where skunks were in those
days.

So when Paul said to beware of dogs, those were the types to which he referred.
The word. Beware, in the Greek is "Blepo," and is a military term, (remember
the Philippians were of a military type), and it meant to be consistently on the
look out.

In other words, even as they put the sentries in the towers who were to be
constantly on guard, so were they to beware of the scavenging dogs among the
church, always looking for the easy prey. Something that was laying around
ready to be taken.

Where do the dogs go in our churches? They are going to go where they can eat
their fill, where they know they can control, where they know they can control
the pastor, have authority over the board and they can also have influence over
the congregation. That's where the dogs go to scavenge.

Folks I was such a naive pastor. I came to Mount Pleasant in 1987 and about a
year later a man transferred up from Lawrenceford, Tennessee, taking over the
management position in the power company and as he and his wife joined our
church. He was an older gentleman and quite distinguished . when he came
into our congregation, we found out he was a deacon in his previous church

In our constitution, if you are a deacon in a Baptist church and you transfer in,
after one year you can also become a deacon in the new church. Well, this man

looked so good that after a couple of months, some of the other deacons were
trying to get him to become actively involved in the leadership of our church.

"No," he said. "I just want to wait awhile and I really just need to take a break for
awhile." In the meantime, he felt out the church, stalked the church, looked
around, went to classes, and then, he began to throw parties. He was just
finishing up his new home and began to have parties there. Then he began to
entertain at the church. He bought meat, gave it to the church, came over, cooked
it. He suddenly became the center for a lot of fellowship. Folks, he got a
following, do you know what I'm saying? He got a following.

He went into a particular Sunday school class where the city mayor was and
went into that class and the next thing you know he had a couple of key
manufacturing guys in that class and some very key people in the church. It
wasn't long after that when I began to notice that there was a new element of
real negativism that I couldn't put my finger on that was growing in the church.

Well, this man became head of the building and planning commission. We had
gone into a building program and he joined that committee and became
chairman. The next thing you know we are rocking along and it seems like we're
on the way, the church is growing. When I got there we had something like 80
people in Sunday school and after a couple of years we were running 130 to 140,
maxing out after my third year at 150.

Things sure looked good on paper. But, along the way I just didn't realize that
there was an odor in the church and where exactly the problem was coming
from. I wasn't bewaring of dogs, you see! I was just creeping along, being a

pastor, doing what I thought I ought to do. I was teaching the Word, going out
visiting, trying to make some disciples and I was on my knees. After about the
third year I began to feel this terrible oppression. I couldn't explain it.

I'd come out to the pulpit Sunday morning, from the choir (I also sang in the
choir, trying to do too much, really) and it would be like I'm fighting my way
through the demons. I'd look out there in the audience and they'd put on their
sad worship faces, you know. It's hard for a pastor to get really cranked up in the
Word of God like that. They would stand up to sing, a good rejoicing Christian
song, and just sound like gloom. They would just look so sad.

Are we enjoying our worship service, I would ask myself. And I'd have these
weird thoughts and I would feel this oppression fighting me at the pulpit. I'd
pray against this feeling but it was not until I got halfway through the
introduction did I begin to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my message.

Well, I saw in the paper that this particular individual was a member of a local
fraternal organization and I didn't think anything about it. After being a while,
he was on all these committees and all these things had come to pass. One of the
dear ladies in the church came to me after a particular funeral of one of my
members. He was on the rolls of the church. You know how it is. I came in from
Texas and all this time had never seen or heard of this man and he dies, and
there's a funeral in another town down the way.

Three of our members had gone to that funeral. They came back from there and
this lady said to me, "Well pastor, what in the world is Freemasonry?" And I
said, "I don't know, my grandfather was a mason, my grandmother was Eastern

Star. I'll be honest with you, I really don't know much about it. I just always felt
very uncomfortable about anything secretive. God has just steered me away from
it."

"Well, " she says, "I want you to find out about it, I have to know, I got the
heebee geebees down there at that funeral. This man was waving this stick
over this guy with this white cloth. What in the world are they doing? And they
never mentioned the name of Jesus. What is it? What kind of a funeral is it for a
man who is a member of First Baptist Church? "

I didn't know, but he sure sounded like a dead one to me, though. I'm the type of
guy that if you ask me to get into stuff like this I can't stay away from it. So I
started to pray about it. I wasn't really wanting to do it as quick as it happened
though. I went to a Baptist bookstore to do something else and came across this
weird book. It was entitled DEADLY DECEPTION and it caught my attention. It
was written by some guys named Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney. I picked it up.
I didn't know if it was worth the money or not. But I paid for it and took it home
with me.

I got to reading it, got to the back part in particular, and I started reading that
stuff. And I cried out, "Oh, Lord, why me?" I realized what I was into. I caught
up with Tom McKenney somehow in Louisiana and I explained my situation.

I told him I needed to know resources and he gave me some. I called my brother
in New Jersey who is in the used bookstore business out there. John shipped me
a whole bunch of those things Tom McKenney had referenced and as I began to

go through them, I got the heebee geebees. I began to know what that lady was
talking about.

Then I got real concerned because this man who had become so important in our
congregation. I knew about him but what I realized was that I didn't know how
many more were involved in this with him Paul said, "Beware of dogs!" Folks, I
started knowing what it means to beware. I started looking around and started
checking rings, emblems on the backs of cars, looking for anything that would
give me a clue.

Well the second thing I learned from the book of Philippians study was beware
of evil workers. In the Greek the word is "Kakourgos", but here it's in the plural,
but it's a compound. The word, "kakos" means evil, in intent, influence and
effect. And the word "ergon" means a work, bringing forth of fruit, to bring forth
a result - evil workers.

Paul warned the Philippian church to beware of dogs, yes, but to also beware of
evil workers - those who will come into the church and practice evil, who will
suddenly begin to destroy the work.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.

For everything in the world —the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and
the boasting of what he has and does —comes not from the Father but from the
world. (1 John 2:15 -16)

That Scripture certainly applied to my church. I began to see what was
happening in the various committee structures. Because of the way the
constitution is in my southern Baptist church, as pastor, I was virtually left out of
the entire nominating process that is where our committees came from. I began
to see people doing evil. I had been there long enough, the honeymoon was long
over. I found out that a few of my deacons were out drinking on the golf course
over here and another was caught drinking, another had language problems, and
others were in sin. Just your typical church, I guess.

It was scary enough to realize that these were the people who were leading my
congregation and I was dependent upon them to do the works of the New
Testament ministry. Folks, guess what was getting done? Nothing! We were real
good at doing the "Kakourgos" the evil working. We weren't doing so good on
taking care of our poor widows.

Well, the fourth year of my ministry there began and the pastor begins to
develop a burden. I got on my knees and I said

"Lord I've got a burden for Mount Pleasant to come to Jesus Christ. Satan
had bound this community and I need disciples. Lord. Just one, just one
man. I want to begin to disciple him one on one. I want to teach him the
Word of God and deliverance. So get him fired up for the Word.”

The Lord heard my prayer and sent me a disciple, one who I would have least
expected. And we begin to work. The next one the Lord sent was a recovering
alcoholic. Now I had two. One of the ladies came to me and said, "Would you
like to start a prayer ministry?" I said, "Yes I would!" Boy, start making disciples.

start seeing souls saved, and start a prayer ministry, and brother, you've got the
devil on your tail.

All of the sudden I was becoming spiritually aware. That was a revelation for
me. And as I began to see. I'd ask God to open my eyes. The more I read, the
more I studied books by different men, and I began to tune in to what was
going on around me. I began to see that there were dogs and evil workers all
around. And I said, "Oh Lord help me!" Well, He did!

Well that's when I got to point three. He said, "beware of the concision." Now
this is really a play on words, because the Greek word for concision is
"Katatome" and the word means literally to cut down or to mutilate. Look at
verse three and there you find the word circumcision which in the Greek is
"Peritome ".

Paul is referring to those (of the Katatome) who are not of the true circumcision
(Paritome). Those who were circumcised to fulfill the law but who had not the
spirit or love of God. Their circumcision was a mutilation instead of a blessing.

Guess what type person would Paul be warning the church about? I was on
visitation one night and I pulled up next to the local Masonic lodge, with this
gentleman, a deacon in my church. He began to get excited. He said, "You see
that. I'm a member of that thing. " And I said, "you are? I didn't know."

He said, "Yeah, but I only went through the first degree. I really don't know a
whole lot about it, but I still pay my dues in it occasionally."

I asked him, "How many men in our church are Masons.?" He quickly named off
five out of our twelve deacons. And then he named off a few others and some I
found out about later. And I go, "Oh Lord, why me? Can't you ship them out to
east Tennessee?"

I begin to pray about this situation, that God would begin to help me to
overcome the problem. And that He would give me wisdom in doing it. I had a
friend of mine tell me one time when I was at Foundation Biblical Research there.
"Dan," he said, "you've got to really know God and believe Him and trust Him
before you ever ask Him for wisdom. Because He will give you the
circumstances in your life to give you the answer to that prayer request."

I ask for it. My wife said, " When are you going to learn to keep your mouth
shut?" Well I started asking for wisdom and God gave it to me. Meantime we
were making disciples, the church was growing and some exciting things were
happening. The Lord was really blessing the church in the midst of growing
oppression so dark that I could not fully understand it all even after reading the
material.

We were in a deacons' meeting one night and one of the other deacons asked
another deacon, "what's that ring on your finger next to your wedding band?" He
replied, "Oh that's my Scottish Rite ring." And my eyes got right over there. This
particular deacon said, "well what degree are you?" And he answered, "I'm a
thirty-second."

I didn't know much about degrees, I thought maybe that was how old he was.
Well I knew that wasn't true, but they don't tell the truth anyway. I began to pay

particular attention more to this individual, who was the same fellow I
mentioned earlier, who was new to my congregation.

Folks, I had not been bewaring of dogs like I should have been. And I wasn't
bewaring of the evil workers and all the sudden it began to come clear to me. The
more I began to ask questions and attend meetings and check around town, I
found out that these deacons were meeting clandestinely, and I later perceived,
were plotting my overthrow. Well, on the one hand it's kind of humorous and
the other hand it is very serious.

As this thing unfolded there was a great deal of hurtful things said about this
pastor. I was accused of doing the things they were doing. Lying, for instance, I
was accused of exposing counseling sessions, accused of betraying all sorts of
trusts, accused of firing the church treasurer which I didn't have the authority to
do. This was the fifth time this lady came and quit. I said its time to take her up
on it and, in the meantime, I had suspected something was funny about the way
she was handling the money .

I called our finance committee chairman and I said its time we accept the offer
and he did, after the fifth time, the resignation was taken. She shouldn't have
had the books out of the church, but she did. We finally got the books back into
the church to find out what had been going on. And to this day we are still
lacking two years of records. Some of my annuity money is missing to this day.
Now keep in mind this is the former treasurer of the church. All the sudden this
lady is seen meeting with these other individuals, these evil workers, and the
word gets back to me.

I went to the southern Baptist Convention that year. Right before that, I found
out about the efforts of Dr. Holly to have the SBC review the religion of the lodge
and to take a stand against it in the SBC. I called Dr. Holly, made his
acquaintance and he sent me some copies of his book on the matter.

I met with my deacons preliminarily and I handed out the books and I said,
"Gentlemen, we have a problem, an issue in the Southern Baptist Convention
and I know some of you are involved in Freemasonry." I said, "Look, I really
need to know more about it because I don't fully understand it and I think you
can help me, if you would to understand your perspective of it. In about a month
I would like to talk about it more."

I went off to the Southern Baptist Convention, of course, you know some of the
things that happened in Indianapolis. The denominational conference was
choked with Messengers who were Masons, sent to sway the votes. The SBC
agreed that while there were many things very wrong with Masonry, it chose to
embrace it and let each member choose to belong or not to belong.

When I returned, the masons in the church were ready for me. They offered to
fire me if I didn't resign. One of the deacons got to me first and he said, "Dan, we
are going to meet secretly, do you know what its about?" And I said, "No, but I
can guess."

Well, they asked me to come over at the end of their meeting and they offered
me ninety days and out. I looked around the table. I'll be honest with you, my
hand was shaking, because these were some of the guys I loved dearly, sitting

there silently staring at the wall behind me. I listened to some of the awful
things they had to say about me.

I thought about it and I said, "Lord, I know that isn't true." I looked at these men
who were judging me and saying these things about me and I knew what had
been told me about them. I knew their unfaithfulness, their lack of tithing, I knew
their lack of service, and their lack of commitment to the local church and pastor,
and their lack of studying the Word of God.

I looked around the table and I said, "I do not see anyone here who is qualified
or worthy to judge God's will for this pastor's life, let alone the life of this church.
At this time I formally request a congregational meeting to decide this issue."

They actually gave it to me. They learned a hard lesson because in just a few
days they had the congregational meeting. Folks, I thought revival broke out and
God had worked miraculously, we had members that I never knew, had never
heard of, they showed up at that church. There was tight seating for about 280
and it was almost full. I listened to some terrible accusations.

But we had set down some guidelines. They had to state exactly all of what
happened and tell specifically what the pastor had done. And they got up and
made a fools out of themselves. One particular man, the deacon who had
transferred in, for the first time he had to reveal himself. He stood up and
publicly berated me. He had this list of sins on a sheet of paper and was shaking
it, red faced. This man was pretty tall and he was really angry, I mean angry. All
these men were angry at me. And you can sense the hatred and hostility in the
air. It was thick enough to cut with a knife.

I was writing all these things down that I was going to use to defend myself. I
had a list a yard long. I started to go up there when it came my time, two and
half hours into the evening. But I was emotionally drained and was praying. And
I was thinking about the pastor in the book, THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, by Frank
Peretti. I had the sensation of de-ja vu, doing something over again that I had
already experienced.

On my way to the pulpit, I got the impression from the Lord and I don't know
how to explain it, but I just got the impression, "don't defend yourself.” I argued
with Him all the way to the pulpit. I had purposely sat in the back of the church,
so I had a long walk to the front, looking down at the floor trying to keep my
cool, arguing all the way there with the Lord.

I said, "Well Lord if I don't defend myself, what in the world do I say?" He said,
"Tell them your name." Now folks that is honestly what I was impressed with.
And I laughed and that helped me because these people, a third of them I had
never seen before, were there to vote me out.

I went up in the pulpit and I just started crying. I couldn't help it and my wife
brought me a Kleenex. Bless her heart, she was crying. I think God used that.
There had been some nice things said about me as well as bad things. I remember
thinking, "Lord I ’m not going to be able to do this." And He said, "Yes , you can.
You don't need to defend yourself. I'll take care of it." I said, "What do I say. I'
can't stop crying. " He said, "tell them about me."

It wasn't long and I' was preaching. I saw that my church was lost, for the
most part anyway. It made perfect sense. I'm just a little slow sometimes. I've got
a lot of training. I was a Greek major in college, but I'm just a little slow. You
know how it is sometimes, we get to battling and we don't listen good. I said.

"All right Lord. You know best."

I started to tell my testimony, how I was saved, how I came to know Jesus, what I
wanted to do for the church and how I wanted to share His love, make disciples,
fill the great commission, just to make it short.

Never-the-less, at the end I said, "Judge me not upon what has been said here,
judge me by my works because my works will validate and vindicate my faith. I
have nothing more to say." Then I sat down.

Well, they stood up and gave me a pretty good vote of confidence. Folks, that
chief guy I've been talking about, that head deacon, the big mason, cried like a
baby. You've never seen anything like it. And after people finished
congratulating me, I noticed he was still over there blowing his nose and it really
kind of comical now. This man is six foot two and he's over there blowing his
nose, red faced, angry, and some of the people were coming up to him. He said,

"I just can't believe they voted to keep this guy in."

So I walked up and I said, " I think we need to talk about this. Can we get
together? Seriously, can't we just work through this?" And I told him the church
wanted me to stay and I guessed I planned to stay. And he cried some more!
Broke my heart you know.

Well, they tried to starve us out. That's ungodly, don't you ever do it - its wrong.
I mean if the church is God's , you give your money to the church, you don't give
it to the pastor. They stop giving and they also continued to blasphemy me
around the community. Bad, bad things were said and the heat really turned up.
It cranked up and cranked up. I decided to crank up too. I'll never forget reading
in 1 John 5: 21 that we were to keep ourselves from idols and that is what I was
going to do for us and for our church.

I had never ever made a big deal publicly about masonry. It was mostly behind
the scenes, working with these men. One particular message I preached to the
church. I'll never forget. I came down to the end of it and I started developing
what Idolatry really means. I began to develop what an idol is. You know from
the Greek that the word idol means something that it represents, it isn't the real
thing.

It's a simple definition, but still keep in mind, I was talking to First Baptist
Church, Mount Pleasant. I tried to explain what an idol really is. Then I went
back into the ancient world and began to trace the evolution of it all. I told them
that one place idolatry continues to this day from the Old Testament days was in
Freemasonry.

Well, there was this great rush of air as everyone sucked in their breath and I had
people awake who had been sleeping for years. I went on to exhort them in love
that if they were involved in such an organization they needed to get out. I
closed off the message and it sounded like a swarm of bees were just dumped
out of their hive.

They were out to get me again. My mom even overheard a couple of them say -
we've got to get rid of this guy! I knew it was a short time and I began putting
out resumes. During all that, I was talking to Tom McKenney and a few other
men who I knew, seeking prayer and some moral support.

Well, they finally got me. They called no meeting this time. They came in on a
night that a lot of my supporters were sick or out and they had a very simple
majority, a lousy constitution but that's what it was. And they were able to bring
in their people, the living dead, once again, who didn't even know my ministry
and they got them in to vote a Godly pastor out. Isn't that amazing! I thank the
Lord, I'll be honest with you, it was a call to peace.

I told them, "If you choose to do this, then God has simply called me to peace.
"And that's what God did. He allowed them to vote me out. Well of course I was
hurt and a lot of my dear friends stayed on the opposition side and voted me out.
And that really hurts, of course. But the Lord set my heart free from the burden
of it all. My wife and I felt that release, not from them, but from the Lord.

Here is the good news. I was concerned about the bitterness of the good people
there. There was a group that began to immediately stand up. The Sunday
school director stood up and said, "I resign my position." The treasurer of the
church, a young dear lady, stood up and said, "I resign my position." My
secretary got up, "I resign my position." This went on all over the church.

By the next Sunday, all the Sunday school teachers except one or two masons
had resigned. All our discipleship trainers had resigned, the whole structure of
the church had left. They pulled off and they called me and they said, "Dan,

would you mind pastoring us as long as you're here?" I said, "I sure would. I've
got some messages ready and lets do it. I'll be happy to."

So we found a place to meet and we continued. There was still a lot of bitterness
on their part. But I encouraged them to do was practice Matthew 18, to address
the sin. I said, folks, "They can't repent if they don't know fully what they've
done." So they set down some grievances. After four weeks of watching them
and counseling with them, they went down and tried reconciliation. The group
did this on their own, I did not tell them what to say, they came up with all of it
on their own. I didn't want people in the community looking around saying I'm
still causing problems.

They went down and did that and returned with zero response. They came back
and it was like the demons were off of them. This group said that they wanted to
form a new church. And they are excited. It's a body of believers who have been
purged and cleansed. I tell you folks, God has turned cursings into blessings.

We got out the negative element. We've got out the bad mouths, we got out the
people with sad faces who didn't want to Praise Jesus and sing songs and
rejoice in the truth. All the negative elements are still down there in the dead
church. I don't want to get too close, lightning might strike that old building. You
know what I'm saying?

God is working in our town. Just last week we, named our new church. They
had some names like. Victory and things like that and I knew where they were
coming from and I simply prayed. I didn't even put a name in, and out of the
blue came a name that I would not have picked, the name was New Song. Out of

twelve that was the one that was chosen. We are now New Song Baptist Church,
Psalms 98:1. And I'm telling you, read the verse, its marvelous. I think God has
given us that name! Pray for us at New Song Baptist Church.

This is what you can expect when you get bold for Christ. You can expect
trouble. I mean big trouble. But you know we are not called to please man. We're
called to please God. Folks, if we're a people pleaser and we're in the pastorate,
we're in the wrong business. We ought to go to work for Avon. If we're not going
to stand on the Word of God then we ought to become a mason. We might as
well join them. If we're not going to stand on the Word of God, we might as well
join the fraternity. You know what I'm saying. Because the Word of God is the
only thing that brings joy, peace, and lasting love. Anything that has any benefit
of consequence comes from the filling of the spirit, in God's Word and a
relationship with Jesus Christ. God Bless You All!

CHAPTER EIGHT

FREEMASONRY AROUND THE WORLD

Mick Oxley
In His Grip Ministries
Route # 1, Box 257-E
Crescent City, FL 32112

Mick Oxley is a retired Wing Commander for the Royal Air Force Commander
and a transplant from the United Kingdom. Mick spent much of his service time
in the Middle East, where he converted to the Islamic faith and searched deeply
into Eastern Mysticism. Also heavily involved with Masonry, it would seem that
Mick was lost to God forever. But, Praise God! His sure Word says that He will
save us, even from the "Uttermost." Today, Mick and his wife, Betty serve the
risen Savior, Jesus Christ. They live near Crescent City, Florida and are proud to
be American Citizens. Mick is a very much sought after speaker for churches and
conferences.

Ten years ago, you would have found very few Christian books written on
Freemasonry. Today, it seems we have more books on Freemasonry than we
have versions of the Bible.

I seem to spend quite a lot of time answering letters and telephone messages,
however well intentioned, by people who want me to read their script, or book,
they feel compelled to write on Freemasonry. Only a few months ago, I had a

letter from a chap in Sweden, who wanted information so he could write a book
on Masonry. He had gotten my name form Bill Schnoebelen's book "MASONRY,
Beyond the Light"

I wrote back straight away, advising him that it would be far better for him to
translate Bill's book into Swedish, as I said Bill's book is one of the best in the
world exposing Freemasonry.

Most of the scripts and new books I have seen are pretty good, but a rare few of
them come out with the truth of Freemasonry and it's Luciferian Doctrine and
worship. I have to say that I am not surprised. The ignorance of thing's Satanic,
of spiritual Warfare in the Church, is devastating, because it is doing exactly that
to the Church, devastating it. I point the finger at the pulpits and blame the
Seminaries. But, with a Bible in your hand daily, getting into the Word of God, it
is all there and there is no excuse.

You will never, ever, fully understand Freemasonry unless you fully understand
the teachings of the Bible on the things of the spirit. I am not here to lecture you,
but I pray that upon leaving here, you will have learned more of the power
behind this Occult organization and equally important, the power Jesus Christ
has given us to come against the powers of Darkness.

The Bible has to be our standard, and while we can quote Pike, Hall, Mackay
until the cows come home, you can not fight against the spirit world, teach on it,
or write about it, unless you apply the Bible teaching thus obtaining this vast
knowledge of spiritual warfare, and this, dear friends is what the battle against

Freemasonry is all about. As Paul says. "He who is spiritual appraises all things"
(1 Corinthians 2:15)

In dealing with the complex subject of Freemasonry, I feel we should examine
the background of the organization. I remember well, as a young boy, cycling in
my home county of Yorkshire, in England. I used to make trips over to the other
side of Leeds, still in Yorkshire, to a place called Temple Newsom, perhaps the
name or place is unfamiliar to you, but this is "Bronte" country.

Temple Newsom was on a hill, hidden in the woods, just the place for us boys to
play Robin Hood and the Knights of the Crusades. I remember as if it was
yesterday, climbing in among the graves of the Knights, trying to decipher the
names and seeing strange markings on each and every tombstone. The Knights,
if you know English and Middle Ages history, came to England and Scotland,
having been banished from the continent, Spain in particular, and settled in
Britain in the 14th century.

It was not until 20 years later, at my initiation as an Entered Apprentice, in a
Masonic Lodge, near Downpatrick, in Northern Ireland, that I was taken aback
to see displayed on top of the open Bible, on the altar, the symbols I had seen on
those gravestones in England. But, here they were displayed as instruments of
Freemasonry. They were the legs of a man overlapping the woman in the sexual
position of the Square and Compass! I can tell you, I was shattered!

It was not this revelation alone that jolted me, because I KNEW, within the first
ten minutes into the first degree, that I had broken most of God's
commandments! I made no pretense in those days of being a Christian. However

with my Church of England background, I knew enough of the Bible to know
that the blood oaths I was required to swear, in fact any oaths are against God's
Holy Law. Just making an oath, not knowing what it is about, is against any
national constitution, and we had the Magna Carta!

For any Mason, who calls himself a Christian, to lie about the Compatibility of
Freemasonry and Jesus Christ, is paving the road to Hell, unless he repents. I
KNEW as a non-Christian that what I was doing was evil. Those Masons who
use the name of Christ to defend Freemasonry are committing blasphemy, in my
opinion. I suppose it depends on what sort of a Christian you are!

From the background of the occult Knights Templars, came strong influence in
the early formation of English Freemasonry. That was blended with the
Illuminati of Adam Weishaupt from Germany, and laced with the occult
theology of Hinduism, brought over from India in the 16th Century by the
British Raj.

Freemasonry, or The Stone Masons were licensed at the Guildhall. This is in the
City of London, as were other guilds. For example, the Tanners' Guild were
workers in leather, the Weavers' guild were those who made cloth. All were
'guilded' or made into guilds, and still remain licensed to this present day. The
Lord Mayor of London is responsible to the Queen from his palace at the
Guildhall. His home is the Mansion House in the City of London. These City
Guilds were the very first Unions that we know of today.

The guilds held their meetings in the taverns or "pubs" of London. The very first
record of a Masonic Meeting was in a tavern in the City in 1717. In 1726 the

Lodges of London and the provinces, combined to form the Grand Lodge of
England. Freemasonry was thus formed officially. Other Grand Lodges were
formed, my own constitution, where I became a Mason, was formed in Dublin in
1725, the following year in Scotland, then Europe.

The French were always a bit strange to the British. They still are, not many
people like the Channel Tunnel. We remember all the wars we have fought and
won against the French. Today, the French Grand Lodge of the Orient, is out of
bounds to members of the English Constitution.

I attended The Grand Lodge of England in Great Queen Street, near Trafalgar
Square, for many years. There are about 40 rooms — Lodges — that hold meetings
every day of the week, except Sunday. There are as many banqueting rooms
were you go to eat, drink and talk business, after Lodge, but you never speak
about Jesus Christ.

I travelled down to London in my dinner jacket, always in Evening Dress. I
carried my little oblong attache case, which had in it my aprons, cuffs, and white
cotton gloves, always worn in Lodge in Europe. My sashes, and my jewels, the
latter for my giving to the Royal Masonic Elospital, Masonic Girls' and Masonic
Boys' Schools.

English Freemasonry is expensive. Twenty-five dollars for dinner, after Lodge
Meetings, and that was over 20 years ago! My dues to the Lodges I belonged to
kept me continually "in the red" with my bank. And it stayed this way until I
was set-free years later!

There are no rings, or tie pins in English Freemasonry, nothing to tell you are a
Mason, except as I say when you went to Grand Lodge. No car covered with
Masonic emblems as we have in the U.S.. Freemasonry is supposed to be secret,
didn't you know?

The extraordinary popularity of Freemasonry and it's imitators here in America-
whose love of Secret Societies exceeds that of any other country except China,
can be attributed to the fact that Americans are extremely friendly, outgoing and
will join anything! I think partly out of a subconscious desire to escape the
matriarchal influence, so much stronger here than in my homeland, and partly
perhaps to the absence of the glamour of pageantry of royalty and hereditary
titles, and your less colorful and historic ceremonial in connection with
government, nation and municipal occasions. The differences between what we
call English Masonry and American Masonry also appears in the structure, the
ritual and the ceremonies. Allow me to deal with the more important differences
that I see or rather saw.

The three Craft degrees do form the basis of the whole Masonic System as
practiced in what used to be the countries of the British Empire. Together with
Royal Arch, they form the sum total of Freemasonry as OFFICIALLY recognized
by the English Grand Lodge. It is a fact that the majority of English Masons go no
further than these degrees.

I found as an English Mason, that there was a strong tendency to look down on
the so called higher degrees' as a modern fancy innovation, which are no part of
the pure and ancient Masonry: This of course is true, for the most part for the
other lodges I attended, world wide. I visited many countries and lived in some.

and in most lodges there was a demonstration of the three tracing boards,
unknown perhaps in the American Freemasonry. These presentations were by
one selected person who has to completely memorize about three quarters of an
hour of strict ritual, applied to each of the three degrees.

The most popular degrees in the English Constitution seem to be Mark Mason,
Knights Templar and Rose Croix that is the 18th degree of what is called the
Ancient and Accepted Rite. You have to have a Master Mason's certificate from
either the English, Scottish or Irish Constitution for advancement into any other
system.

The degrees, all thirty of them, beginning with the fourth, that of Secret Master,
and culminating in the Thirty-Third degree of Grand Inspector General, are
controlled NOT by the United Grand Lodge of England, but by the Supreme
Council at St. James, in Piccadilly, London.

So here you have a secret society within a secret society, a great difference
compared with the structure here in America. It was on the 5th of December,
1952, that His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was initiated into my sister
Lodge, the Navy Lodge No. 2612. This was because of pressure from his future
father-in-law, the then King George VI.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, now the Duke's wife, is the Grand Patroness of
Freemasonry, but is not allowed into a Masonic Lodge. Her cousin, the duke of
Kent, became the Grand Master of English Freemasonry at its 250th celebration.
We have just witnessed the 275th anniversary celebration in the U. K.. The
Scottish Rite Journal had a special feature on this.

Prince Charles has had great pressure put upon him to become a Freemason. He
has refused point blank saying, "I do not wish to join any secret society." The fact
he is deeply into New Age does not seem to worry him or the Royal Family. If
the Prince is initiated, to follow tradition, it is expected that he will join the
Lodge I attended. Royal Air Force Lodge No. 7335 , in the Grand Lodge
chambers in Great Queen Street. There is yet no indication Charles will change
his attitude. The brother of the Duke of Kent is also a Mason.

It does not take much intelligence to see why the Royal Family, and Great
Britain, is in such a mess. The curse of Freemasonry has been upon the Family,
especially since the first days of Masonry in Britain with the then Prince of
Wales, who became George the Third, and was the first Royal Grand Master of
English Freemasonry.

The Duke of Kent is only a Master Mason. The ambitions then of the English
Freemason is not rank, as it is here in the States, but having the good fortune to
become an officer in his home Lodge where he was initiated and eventually to
take the chair as Worshipful Master.

I never had the chance of "taking the chair" as it is called, simply due to my
nomadic Royal Air Force life, since I was unable to attend any lodge long enough
to go through the rungs of the ladder leading up to Worshipful Master. The
average time in England to Worshipful Master is seven to ten years, and
remember you have to physically go through each degree in English Masonry.
There is no going up to Washington D.C. to purchase your degrees up to your 32
degree.

No wonder English Masons seemed to be old men! The English system is indeed
complex. Let me deal with one major point here. The "Shriners" are purely
American. Millions of Americans have demonstrated their retarded adolescence
by being Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Crippled children may well rise up and
call the Shriners 'blessed', even after a large percentage of the money the Shriners
take in, goes towards the upkeep of their Temples, bars, golf courses and those
stupid toy cars. There are surely other ways that are more becoming to band men
together in a spirit of benevolence. They could try Jesus Christ.

The blood oaths in the first three degrees and that of the Master Elect, have been
taken out of the English Constitution. They were removed after a United Grand
Lodge meeting held on 11 June 1986. I now understand that JAO BUL ON (the
Masonic name for God in the Royal Arch) was taken out of the Grand Lodge in
February 1989.

I cannot emphasize too strongly, that in there are key differences between U.S.
and English Masonry. There are different workings, as I have alluded to, within
the English Constitution. Aldersgate (City of London), Oxford, Bristol,
Metropolitan, to list just a few. There is then, no absolute uniformity in Masonic
workings. As long as the general structure is the same, and the landmarks of
Masonry are preserved, verbal and ceremonial differences do not matter. Lets
move from England, forgive me, but I felt you should have a fair knowledge of
what used to be known as the "Mother of Freemasonry."

Years ago as a zealous Freemason, I was give the original degree rituals of
"Mother Killwining Lodge," the No. 2 Lodge of Scotland. They were given to

me by a dear Scotsman whose ancestors had written them down in about 1720. 1
destroyed this document which I now recognize as priceless, along with all my
Masonic Regalia and books when I came to Christ.

I do remember that in this document, which was a word-for-word degree ritual,
that there was NO reference to Jesus Christ. I say this because this particular
document was written at the very first meeting of Freemasonry.

I have said that places that were under the British Empire, by and large, work
under the English constitution such as Malta, India, Malaysia, Elong Kong and
Singapore. A few of us in the Ministry to Masons have been conducting
correspondence with Christopher Hoffner who has become the Worshipful
Master of a Lodge in Elong Kong. Hoffner has written many books, including
some on Freemasonry. His latest, "Workman Unashamed" — the testimony of a
Christian Freemason, naturally received a great accolade in the Scottish Rite
Journal. Hoffner has the single honor of being a full member of QUATOR
CORONATI Lodge of London — the world premier Lodge of Masonic research.
He also belongs to Lodges of research in Hong Kong, Ireland, Maine, California
and New York.

A very impressive record: I have never in all my life met or know of any Mason
under such great bondage as Christopher Hoffner, but as I have said it all
depends on what sort of a Christian you are. Only the prayers of the Saints will
break him down.

Australia has now gone over to an Americanized Masonry, due no doubt to the
influx of American Soldiers in W.W.II and the R&R of American troops from

Korea and Viet Nam. They are trying to become a Republic, to sever the ties with
Britain. The Australians though, have now taken the blood oaths out of the
Scottish and York Rites and in the three degrees and Master Elect, the same as in
Britain.

This is a major step, yet it is not reported on in the Scottish Rite Journal. I
wonder why! There is one Lodge left in Sydney, working under the Irish
Constitution. New Zealand is still working in the English Constitution, that is as
far as I can gather at this time. There is a great conflict building within Masonry,
caused in a large part by the recent exposure of their innermost cultic secrets by
zealots such as are here today.

Possibly one of the highlights of my Masonic career was becoming a member of
the prodigious Lodge Singapore. It was one of the wealthiest Lodges in the Ear
East, and the world, perhaps, even after the Roman Catholic P2 Lodge in the
Vatican. We had always 5 Volumes of the Sacred Law displayed, five books of
the 5 different religions that were always present in Lodge Singapore.

When I was a member, I recall that the Worshipful Master was a Moslem friend
of mine, the Police Chief of Singapore. The Senior Warden was a Hindu, the
Junior Warden a Chinese Taoist, the Inner Guard was a Buddhist and lots of Past
Masters were there who called themselves 'Christians.' The Quran for the
Moslem to swear upon, the Veda for the Hindu's, the Keji-Ki, the Records of
ancient Matters for the Shinto Japanese, the Tao-Teh-King, the classics of Taoism
for the Chinese, books for the Jains, Confucianism for the Buddhists, always
available for the initiation ceremonies to be, used at our meetings. But NO Jesus
Christ!

The ritual of the First, Second and Third Degrees have never instructed it's
members that Jesus Christ is the ONLY mediator between God and men. It never
tells them they can't truthfully call God their Father until they have a
relationship with His Son; it does not tell them that it is impossible to build their
spiritual house until they ask Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and He
helps to build it, and they are never told that a man can never do enough good
deeds or live a pure enough life to gain admission into the Celestial Lodge
Above.

In those first charges from the Scottish Mother Killwining Lodge, the number 2
Lodge in the World, Jesus Christ was not recognized at the very start of
Freemasonry and He is not recognized as the Son of God today.

In Germany, Freemasonry is mainly American. This was the first time I saw the
"Top Hat" worn by the Worshipful Master.! It has never been worn in Britain!,
but of course, it is common over here. Freemasonry in Italy became part of the
Scottish Rite in the early days of Albert Pike and his friend from the occult,
Giuseppe Mazzine. Most of Italy works in the Scottish Rite under The Grand
Orient, which is NOT recognized by English Freemasonry.

To cover the continent of Africa would be a mammoth job here. Egyptian
Masonry is steeped in the occult, more so than Grand Orient. Moslem nations
have Freemasonry, but no branches for women. If you have any understanding
of Islam, you know why. I was a member of a Scottish Lodge while living in
Zambia, Central Africa. Again, nations that were under British rule tend to
follow the constitutions of Great Britain. South Africa, in the main, works under

the U.K. Constitutions. Nearer home, Canada had the first Lodge working under
the Massachusetts Jurisdiction in 1749.

Incidentally, the oldest Masonic Lodge room in the U.S.A. dates from 1760 at
Prentise House, Massachusetts. Freemasonry crossed the Atlantic to the colonies
of the old Empire very early on, but the British, as founders of Freemasonry,
remained the leading propagandist for the movement throughout the 19th and
early 20th centuries .

Albert Pike put a stop to this in the acceptance of Scottish Rite through "Morals
& Dogmas." What American Masonry loves to call "The Mother of All
Freemasonry!" There are possibly more Lodges in the World now working under
the Scottish Jurisdiction than any other constitution or jurisdiction. I have tried to
give you the basic background of international Freemasonry and how it has both
developed through most of the countries of the world.

I leave you with this. Even after I had returned to the faith of my youth and had
come out from among the darkness of Eastern Mysticism and left behind the
Quran and its teachings of Mohammed and the Bhagavad of Hinduism I was still
in a spiritual battle for my life.

My standard was now the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ. I knew that there was no
other way to God, but there was no fullness to my walk. I read one day where
Jesus said:

"You call me Jesus, your savior, your Lord - yet you practice things I have not
taught you. Depart from me, I never knew you, you zvorkers of evil. " (Matthew
7: 21 - 23)

I had not found that yearned for one-on -one walk with Jesus even though I had
asked for advice from almost everyone I knew. I had no answers. I finally got
down on my knees and asked Jesus what was wrong.

One word came back to me, as though shouted from heaven, "Masonry!" I knew I
was still in trouble with the real God. As if I needed confirmation, a letter came
from our daughter in London. In it, she said, "You have to get out of Masonry,
Daddy! You know it is evil and you'll never walk with God until you do." That
was the day I burned all my Masonic regalia. Everything was burnt to ashes
before me.

After all my wanderings and searching, I was finally able to separate myself from
the spirits of darkness, to ask God's forgiveness and repent before Him of the evil
in which I had been a participant. And He heard my cry, for I felt the weight of
all that evil lift off me and for the first time in my life, I knew I was FREE. When
you are set free in Jesus, you are set free, indeed. (John 8:36).

CHAPTER NINE

THE SECRET DOCTRINE

Larry Kunk
Ephesians 5:11, Inc.

P. O. Box 29
Fishers, Indiana 46038

Does the Masonic Lodge have a secret doctrine that is known by only those at the
top of the organization? If knowledge of a secret doctrine were not restricted to
only those in the higher degrees, how would the Lodge select which men were to
have access to those secret teachings? What methods would be used to promote,
while at the same time restrict such sensitive information?

If there were a secret doctrine, would it be possible to accurately know its
teachings without joining the organization? Most Masons, even those in the
higher degrees, will be quick to deny the existence of any secret doctrine.

Many Masons have claimed that The ritual is all that there is. Is that really true?
Are Masonic teachings limited to ritual, or are there teachings beyond the ritual
that Masonry attempts to convey to its members? To answer those questions, we
must turn to the writings of Masonic authorities.

The highest authority of Freemasonry

Many times. Masons have claimed that the ritual is the only authority of
Freemasonry. In examining that claim, we need to acknowledge that the rituals

of the degrees of Freemasonry were written by men. Is it reasonable to assign
higher authority to a work than is given its author or authors? Obviously those
who wrote the rituals have or had a greater level of authority than the rituals that
they produced. If we could identify the authors of the rituals, we would
unquestionably identify men who are Masonic authorities. It would be very
difficult today to identify all of the authors of the rituals of the three degrees of
the Blue Lodge. The ritual was not written all at once, but evolved over time. (1)

The major portions of the ritual are well over one hundred years old. All of the
major authors are dead. However, it is quite easy to identify those who have the
ability to alter the ritual as practiced in Lodges today. Any Grand Lodge has the
authority to alter the ritual that is practiced in its jurisdiction. There are portions
of ritual, called landmarks that Grand Lodges will never alter in any significant
way. But, there is some divergence of opinion among various Grand Lodges as
to which actually do constitute all of the true landmarks of Freemasonry.

According to the Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, there are seven which
are universally accepted. (2)

An example of one of those seven landmarks is the Legend of the Third Degree.
The Legend of the Third Degree cannot be significantly altered without altering
the nature of Freemasonry. However, less essential portions of the ritual can be,
and have been, altered by ruling Grand Lodges. An example that demonstrates
that the ritual can be changed has been provided by the Grand Lodge of
England. In recent times, the Grand Lodge of England removed the blood oaths
from the ritual of the Blue Lodge. Obviously, since a Grand Lodge has the ability

to alter ritual, it has higher authority than the ritual. The ritual is the product of
an authority or authorities.

Another means of determining with whom the highest authority rests is to
consider the process by which a new Lodge is formed. In the United States the
practice is for the Grand Master to issue a dispensation to operate until the
ensuing Grand Lodge at which the dispensation may be continued, a charter
may be granted, or the dispensation dismissed. (3 )

Since the Grand Lodges are the highest authorities of Masonry, Grand Lodge
publications produced for use by Masons including Masonic Monitors, books of
Masonic Law, and training materials are excellent sources of authoritative
Masonic teaching. Other written materials that are listed as recommended
reading in Grand Lodge publications that are produced for consumption by
Masons would also be excellent sources of Masonic information.

There are 49 Grand Lodges in the United States, one in each of the 48 continental
states and one in the District of Columbia. (4) Alaska and Hawaii fall under the
jurisdictions of the Grand Lodges of Washington and California respectively.
Many Masonic bodies have official periodical publications that provide a
window into the Masonic system.

How do Grand Lodges begin the training process?

Lodge training methods in general are variations on a theme. The general
method is to conduct the candidate through the ritual and explain to him that the
ritual has meanings that he can only know if he discovers them through his own

efforts. The Lodge never tells a candidate directly what the complete meaning of
the ritual is.

A series of booklets have been compiled by the Committee on Masonic
Education of the Grand Lodge of Iowa for use in educating the new Mason. The
booklets are titled On the Threshold, The Entered Apprentice, The Fellow
CRAFT, and THE Master Mason. They have been adopted and republished by
Grand Lodges in other states, including Indiana and North Carolina. The Indiana
version has been through multiple printings. These training materials can be
given to new members as they progress through the first three degrees of the
Blue Lodge.

The first booklet, ON THE THRESHOLD, is given to the newly elected member
before he receives the Entered Apprentice degree. After each degree is conferred,
the booklet with the same name is then presented to the man. These particular
booklets are not used in all jurisdictions. Their content is congruent with other
Masonic writings. As we shall see, some Grand Lodges use other tools to achieve
the same end.

Most Grand Lodges produce a Monitor, which is given to each new member. The
names of the Monitors vary from state to state. In Virginia it is called the Virginia
Text Book. In West Virginia, the monitor is titled Masonic Text Book. In Georgia,
the monitor is titled Masonic Manual and Code. The Grand Lodge of Indiana
publishes the Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, which must be given to
each man when he is raised to Master Mason. That requirement is Masonic Law
in the state of Indiana. (5)

The term, " raised " is used in the same sense as raised from the dead. In the Indiana
Monitor and Freemason's Guide, under Declaration of Principles, the Grand
Lodge states:

It is a social organization only so far as it furnishes additional inducement
that men may forgather in numbers, thereby providing more material for
its primary work of education, of worship, and of charity, (page 35)

The monitor published by the Grand Lodge of Indiana tells new Master Masons
that the Lodge is not primarily a social organization; its primary purpose is
education, worship and charity. Many Masons have claimed that the Lodge is
simply a social organization. In a footnote at the bottom of the page, the Grand
Lodge explains the purpose of the Declaration of Principles:

"In order to correct any misunderstanding and to refute willful
misrepresentation, this Declaration of Principles was adopted by the
Grand Lodge of Indiana on May 24, 1939." (page 35)

The Grand Lodge of Indiana wants each Mason to know that its primary purpose
is education, worship and charity. The Lodge makes it clear that any social
nature is strictly or the purpose of enlarging membership. The Masonic Manual
and Code, published by the Grand Lodge of Georgia, contains the same
Declaration of Principles. (6 )

The Declaration was formulated in February, 1939, by the Grand Masters
Conference in Washington, D.C. ( 7 ) The Declaration of Principles was widely
accepted and is used by many Grand Lodges.

Masonic monitors often contain footnotes or text which lifts up prominent
Masonic authors or books. The favorable mention of a Masonic author in a
monitor would lead many to believe that the Grand Lodge was endorsing the
writings of those authors. An example is the following text from the Masonic
Text Book (8) for use in the Lodges of West Virginia:

"Brother Albert Pike, one of the most illustrious Masons in all the ages,
and who was an acknowledged authority upon all Masonic questions, was
a believer in ancient Landmarks. . ." (page 25)

The Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide mentions Masonic historian H.L.
Haywood and James E. Craig as prominent modern authors. ( 9 ) Haywood gives a
very truthful description of the purpose of the Lodge in his book, THE GREAT
TEACHINGS of Masonry. (10) In it, Haywood wrote the following:

"The Fraternity itself exists in order to keep fixed on a man a certain set of
influences, and in order to bring about certain changes in the world, etc.:
its secrecy is a means to that end, and helps to make such a purpose
possible." (page 33)

After the deeper meanings of the ritual are fully understood, the words of
Haywood will take on an ominous meaning. Many statements in Masonic books
cannot be properly understood by those not acquainted with the deeper
meanings of the ritual. Masonic books contain teachings that go over the heads
of most who read them. To those who are familiar with the deeper meanings, the
writings are easily understood.

Masonry's Most Important Symbol

Masonry is full of symbols. The most important of those symbols is discussed in
a cursory way in the Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide:

"The Legend of the Third Degree. This is the most important and
significant of the legendary symbols of Freemasonry. It has descended
from age to age by oral tradition, and has been preserved in every
Masonic rite, practiced in any country or language, with no essential
alteration." (page 38)

The Legend of the Third Degree

and the Significance of the LOST WORD

The Lost Word, and the rediscovery of it, is a central theme in Masonic ritual. The
setting for the legend is the building of Solomon's temple, just before completion.
In the ritual of the third degree, each man who is raised to Master Mason is
required to portray Hiram Abiff, the Grand Master. For working on the temple
the Fellowcrafts are to receive the secrets of a Master Mason that will entitle them
to the wages of a Master. Some of the men do not want to wait until the
appropriate time to obtain the secrets. Hiram Abiff is accosted by three men who
are referred to in the ritual as the three ruffians. They are Jubela, Jubelo and
Jebulum. They demand that he reveal to them the secrets of a Master Mason.

Hiram Abiff is a righteous individual, he will not reveal the secrets to them until
the proper time and place and then only in the presence of Hiram, King of Tyre
and Solomon, King of Israel. The first ruffian encounters Hiram Abiff at the

south gate but fails to obtain the Master's Word. The second ruffian encounters
Hiram Abiff in the west and demands, "Give me the Master's Word, or I will take
your life in a moment!"

The third ruffian engages Hiram Abiff in the east and does take his life. Hiram is
unjustly murdered. When he died, the Word was lost because it could not be
mentioned except in the presence of the two Hirams and Solomon. Hiram Abiff
is buried on the brow of a hill west of Mount Moriah to conceal the crime and the
three murderers attempt to flee the country. After King Solomon notices that
Hiram Abiff is missing, a search is mounted. One of the searchers finds a fresh
grave. The body is confirmed to be that of Grand Master Hiram Abiff.

At the gravesite. King Solomon (the Worshipful Master) declares that the
Master's Word has been lost. He declares that the first Word spoken after the
body is raised will be adopted for the regulation of the Masters' Lodges until
future generations shall find the right Word. King Solomon instructs the Entered
Apprentices and the Fellowcrafts to attempt to raise the body of Hiram. They fail
to resurrect their Master from the dead. They are unable to raise Hiram because
the flesh leaves from the bone. The Worshipful Master makes the attempt and
Hiram Abiff is then raised from the dead by the strong grip of the lions paw of
the tribe of Judah. (Jesus is the real Lion of the tribe of Judah.)

The first word spoken after being raised from the dead is spoken on the five
points of fellowship. The word is MAH-HAH-BONE; it is the substitute for the
Lost Word to be used until the Lost Word is again found.

The Meaning of the Legend of the Third Degree

What is the meaning of the ritual? The Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide
has the following to say about the meaning of the Legend of the Third Degree:

"It was the single object of all the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in
the very bosom of pagan darkness, shining as a solitary beacon in all that
surrounding gloom, and cheering the philosopher in his weary pilgrimage
of life, to teach the immortality of the soul. This is still the great design of
the third degree of Masonry. This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The
Master Mason represents man, when youth, manhood, old age, and life
itself have passed away as fleeting shadows, yet raised from the grave of
iniquity, and quickened into another and better existence. By its legenuter
disk is incompatible with Publisher's program. Publishers d and all its
ritual, it is implied that we have been redeemed from the death of sin and
the sepulchre of pollution, (pages 144-145)

The paragraph from the Indiana monitor was written by Albert G. Mackey, one
of Masonry's most respected authors. The text is found in Mackey's book.

Manual of the Lodge. (11) By mandating that each man be given a copy of the
monitor, the Grand Lodge of Indiana is really telling every new Master Mason
raised in Indiana that the ritual implies that they have been redeemed from the
death of sin.

Anything that is said to redeem a man from the death of sin can only properly be
described as a PLAN OF SALVATION. The Grand Lodge of Indiana does not use
the word salvation, yet it is obviously implied and is found in the original
source, the Manual of the Lodge: (12)

. .the Master Mason represents a man saved from the grave of iniquity,
and raised to the faith of salvation." (page 96)

Although Manual of the Lodge was written over 130 years ago, it is still in print!
It is reproduced completely in the Ahiman Rezon, ( 13 ) the Masonic monitor
published by the authority of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina. The statement
that the Master Mason represents a man saved from the grave of iniquity, and
raised to the faith of salvation also found in the North Carolina Lodge Manual,
published by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina North. ( 14 )

The Monitor and Ceremonies, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, published by
the order of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska also contains Mackey's teachings
concerning salvation. ( 15 ) Mackey's writings from Manual of the Lodge are
reproduced faithfully. Obviously Albert Mackey is a Masonic authority whose
writings concerning salvation have been endorsed by Grand Lodges.

Masonic monitors provide evidence that many Grand Lodges, the highest
authorities of Freemasonry, currently teach that the Master Mason has been
redeemed from the death of sin. The Master Mason is said to represent a man
saved from the grave of iniquity, and raised to the faith of salvation. There are
other writings found in Masonic monitors that would encourage a Mason to
believe that he has salvation or that he will go to heaven when his days on earth
come to an end. Consider the following two passages:

"The covering of a Lodge is a clouded canopy, or star-decked heaven,

where all good Masons hope at last to arrive . . ."

. . we should apply our knowledge to the discharge of our respective
duties, to God, our neighbors and ourselves, so that in age, as Master
Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflections consequent on a well-spent
life, and die in the hope of a glorious immortality."

The two passages above are found in the monitors of Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and
West Virginia. ( 16 )

The monitor from Texas contained only a portion of the latter passage. Monitors
from nineteen states were checked. Since all that were checked contained the two
passages, it is statistically reasonable to assume that the vast majority, if not all,
of the monitors of other states will also contain them.

What is the common source of the text? The first passage is from the ritual of
Entered Apprentice degree, while the second passage is from the ritual of the
Master Mason degree. During the third degree ritual, just before Hiram Abiff is
raised from the dead, the Worshipful Master offers a prayer that ends with the
following:

"Yet, O Lord! have compassion on the children of thy creation, administer
them comfort in time of trouble, and save them with an everlasting
salvation. Amen. So mote it be."

No Mason can truthfully say that the Lodge does not hold out the hope of
salvation to the Master Mason. The man who has not been in the Lodge in years,
and probably doesn't remember ritual clearly, can check his monitor and verify
that Masonry teaches that the Master Mason may expect salvation.

Master Masons include Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, members of
Christian Churches and some who have no religious affiliation other than the
Lodge. Masonry requires only a belief in a Deity. Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists,
and Mormons all reject the unique Deity of Jesus Christ. Since Masonry teaches
that Master Masons as a class are redeemed from the death of sin, raised to the
faith of salvation, many die in the vacant hope of a glorious immortality.

Masonry is claiming one of the following to be true:

1. Something is brought about in the making of a Master Mason that
provides salvation

2. All men who believe in a Deity have salvation, regardless of the identity
of that Deity.

Either teaching is unacceptable to a Christian. The Mason who professes to be
Christian is presented with a bit of a dilemma. Can a man be a Christian and at
the same time embrace an organization which gives assurance of salvation on
terms other than faith in Jesus Christ? What will Jesus say?

How is the education process continued?

The ritual of Freemasonry, as well as the writings in the monitors, assures the
Master Mason of salvation. However, the ritual and the monitors do not explain
exactly how the Master Mason is to be saved. The deeper meanings of the rituals
contained in the secret teachings are concealed from some, while revealed to
others. What does the Grand Lodge of Indiana do to encourage the new Master
Mason to discover the deeper meanings behind the ritual? In the Indiana
Monitor and Freemason's Guide, the Grand Lodge of Indiana states:

"In the ceremonies of making a Mason, we do not attempt to do more than
to indicate the pathway Masonic knowledge, to lay the foundation for the
Masonic edifice. The brother must pursue the journey or complete the
structure for himself by reading and reflection." (page 124)

Clearly, the Grand Lodge of Indiana advises all Master Masons that they are not
being given all of the significant knowledge about Freemasonry. They are told
that they must read, and reflect upon what they have read, to obtain a complete
understanding. Which books should a Mason read to learn about Freemasonry?

Obviously, those written by Masonic authors. But, some Masons don't spend the
time to do the required reading to complete the structure or to develop an in
depth knowledge of Freemasonry. In their ignorance, they are unaware of how
much they don't know. Those who do spend the time to do the research
necessary to understand the deeper things of the craft are bound by oath not to
reveal them to non-Masons. Each man determines for himself if he will gain
access to additional Masonic teachings or not. If he is excluded from additional
knowledge, it is because he has not made the effort to read and reflect.

Various methods used by other Grand Lodges

The monitors used in Ohio Lodges are not as detailed as those of Indiana, South
Carolina and some other states. Masonic Lodge Methods (17) by L. B. Blakemore,
a Past Grand Master of Ohio, discusses the importance of the Lodge library and
suggests the following:

"It is suggested that when a Candidate has been Raised, and while he is
still in the Master's care, the Lodge Librarian, or the Chaplain, or the
Master himself should address him somewhat as follows: 'I herewith
present you with a Masonic book which I have borrowed for you from our
Lodge Library (or other Masonic Library). You will read it and return it
and secure another one and so continue your search for more light in
Masonry.' This is impressive and figures in the Candidate's mind as a part
of his Initiation and starts him out on a search for more 'Masonic Light'
and information. The book presented should be an interesting one
carefully selected with a view to his ability to appreciate it. (pages 43 and
44)

The practice of giving a book to a new Master Mason rather than lending one
from the Lodge Library is also common. Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply
Company's September 1992 catalog (18) names The BUILDERS (19) as one of the
outstanding classics in Masonic literature. The catalog goes on to say that many
Grand Lodges present a copy to each newly raised Mason. Evidence of that fact
was found in a copy of The BUILDERS. The bookplate states: "Presented to (the
man's name) on being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason." It was
signed by the Master of a Wisconsin Lodge.

The BUILDERS and its author, Joseph Fort Newton, are listed in footnotes and text
in Masonic monitors from various states. In the Indiana Monitor and
Freemason's Guide, a long quote from The BUILDERS is reproduced. The text just
prior to the quote identifies the author and title of the book and states that: "It
bids fair to become a Masonic classic." (page 162)

The Kentucky Monitor (20) contains a long quote from The Builders. The quote is
used to answer the question: When is a man a Mason? Just before the quote,
which is used to answer the question, the Kentucky Monitor states:

"There is no satisfactory formula. Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, in his Masonic
classic, 'The Builders' at least expresses its true philosophy when he says: .

. . (page ix)

When Grand Lodges take writings of a particular man for use in Masonic
monitors, they themselves do not author that portion of the monitor, but grant
authority to those who wrote the quoted text. In the act of quoting, the Grand
Lodge acknowledges the author to be an accepted source of accurate Masonic
information. In other words, the Grand Lodge identifies the author being quoted
as a Masonic authority. Denials that Masonic authors who are quoted in official
Grand Lodge publications are authorities on Freemasonry ring hollow.

The Masonic training booklets that were compiled by the Committee on Masonic
Education, and have been reprinted by various Grand Lodges, stress the
importance of the writings of Masonic authors. The final booklet. The MASTER
MASON, contains the following:

"It is safe to say that among the countless thousands who have in the past
been raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, no one of them
realized at the time the full implications of the ceremony. This clearly
would be impossible. Yet it is vitally important that the deeper meanings
of this degree be understood if one is to become a Master Mason in fact as
well as in name. "(page 2)

The MASTER Mason has been authorized and is used by multiple Grand Lodges
including those of Iowa, Indiana and North Carolina. The Grand Lodges teach
that a man cannot become a Master Mason in fact as well as in name until he
knows the deeper meanings of the Master Mason Degree. The implications of
such a teaching are significant. If Master Masons as a class have salvation, then
unless a particular man was a Master Mason in fact as well as in name, he would
not necessarily have salvation. The instruction continues:

"This final booklet is intended to indicate something of what lies beyond
the instruction you have already received. If it encourages you to
investigate still further it will indeed have served a good purpose. The
literature of Masonry in all its many phases is within your reach and your
Worshipful Master or Secretary can give you particulars, (page 2)

Your enjoyment of Freemasonry, its value to you in your future life, your
contribution to the fulfillment of its great mission, will be in direct
proportion to your understanding of its secrets, which, if you recall the
degree through which you have just passed, you do not yet have and
which can only be gained by your own endeavors and the assistance of

your brethren . . . Much has been written of Freemasonry. Probably your
own Lodge possesses a library of books telling of the history of
Freemasonry and treating of its philosophy, symbolism, and
jurisprudence. These books are at your disposal at all times and there are
many others that you may purchase for study in your own home, (page 3-
4)

Clearly, the Grand Lodges using these booklets are endorsing use of the Lodge
library as a means to becoming a Master Mason in fact as well as one in name.
The Grand Lodges also state that many of the Masonic books, which they would
have a new Master Mason read to gain an understanding of the deeper
meanings, are available for purchase.

A non-Mason Can Understand the Secrets of Masonry

The rituals of the first three degrees have been thoroughly revealed and are
available in written form to anyone who has an interest in them. Masonic books
that are found in Lodge libraries are available from a number of sources. An
individual who is not a Mason can read and reflect and come to a very detailed
understanding of Masonic teachings. The primary criteria should be to identify
those materials which are produced for the consumption of Masons by a credible
Masonic authority and which are distributed throughout the Masonic system
with the knowledge and cooperation of ruling Masonic bodies such as a Grand
Lodge.

Discovering the Deeper Meaning

If the new Mason raised in Indiana diligently read all of the materials issued to
him by the Grand Lodge of Indiana, it would be reasonable for him to start his
search for the deeper meanings of the ritual by obtaining a copy of THE BUILDERS,
by Joseph Fort Newton. It is endorsed as a classic in both the Indiana and
Kentucky monitors. Many Grand Lodges present a copy of it to the new Master
Mason. The BUILDERS is the first Masonic book, not published by a Grand Lodge,
which many Masons read. The BUILDERS contains a chapter that is titled The
Secret Doctrine.

The chapter title gives away the fact that the Masonic Lodge does indeed have a
Secret Doctrine. Current editions contain a seven-page bibliography that points
the seeking Mason to Masonic books that explain the Secret Doctrine in detail.
Several of the Masonic books used here to document the Secret Doctrine are
listed in the bibliography in THE BUILDERS.

Tying the Existence of a Secret Doctrine to the Grand Lodge

Indirectly tying the existence of the Secret Doctrine back to the Grand Lodge of
Indiana and many other states is not difficult. When a Masonic Monitor or other
Grand Lodge publication uses quotes from The BUILDERS, or declares that it is a
Masonic classic, an indirect /ink between the Secret Doctrine and the Grand
Lodge has been created. Finding a direct link between the Secret Doctrine and a
Grand Lodge is more difficult.

It would appear that a direct link exists in the Kentucky Monitor. The thirteenth
edition of the Kentucky Monitor contains an index that lists Secret Doctrine
among the entries. Seventeen pages are listed as having information about the

Secret Doctrine. The most direct passage is found in a preface entitled The Spirit
of Masonry:

"This, in short, is a synopsis of the story that Masonry attempts to tell, the
Secret Doctrine, completed from the wisdom of the ancient East." (page
xix)

Most of the text referring to the Secret Doctrine on those seventeen pages of the

Kentucky Monitor is similar to the following two passages:

"Masonry has been defined as a beautiful system of morality, veiled in
allegory and illustrated by symbols. Now an allegory is a story told to
illustrate or convey some truth. Some of the most important truths have
been handed down to us through allegories that being one of the favorite
methods of the Master used to convey His teachings. It is one of the
peculiarities of an allegory that its message may not be understood by all
men.

One must be prepared with his own mind and heart to receive the truth or
else he sees it not. It is only a few of all those who hear who perceive the
lesson designed to be taught by the allegory. The great majority, having
ears to hear, hear not; having eyes to see, see not the beautiful lesson but
hear only a pretty story that interests for a short while and then is lost. But
the earnest seeker for truth, he who is duly and truly prepared for its
perception, sees beyond the veil of the allegory and perceives the
beautiful, simple truth which it conceals from the multitude but reveals to
the chosen few. (page 20)

"So, my brother. Masonry teaches by allegories and symbols, and it is your
part to extract from them the truths that will be of service to you in the
building of an upright Masonic character. If you perceive only the stories
that Masonry presents to you and do not see deeper into what they are
designed to teach, you will miss the most wonderful part of Masonry ..."
(pages 20-21)

Does this link the Grand Lodge of Kentucky directly to the existence of a Secret
Doctrine? Some would say no, because the Kentucky Monitor is not published
directly by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. Yet, the Kentucky Monitor, which was
arranged by Henry Pirtle, has been presented to new Master Masons in Lodges
throughout Kentucky for more than fifty years. Pirtle is a Past Master or former
Worshipful Master of the Lodge. Like the Indiana Monitor and Freemason's
Guide, the Kentucky Monitor borrows much of its verbiage from books written
by Masonic authorities and those books and authors are often listed in footnotes.
Because the Kentucky Monitor is not published by the Grand Lodge it can be
slightly more direct without linking the Grand Lodge to the Secret Doctrine.

Others would say that it does directly link the Grand Lodge of Kentucky to the
existence of a Secret Doctrine because the Kentucky Monitor is presented to
every Master Mason raised in the Bluegrass state. The Grand Lodge obviously is
aware of the contents of the monitor; it has been in use for more than fifty years.

Many Grand Lodges direct that a copy of The BUILDERS be given to every new
Master Mason. Some would say that when a new Master Mason is given a copy
of The BUILDERS as part of his Third Degree ceremony, a direct link to the

existence of the Secret Doctrine is legally and legitimately formed. Obviously, if
the teachings in The BUILDERS, including the teaching of the existence of the
Secret Doctrine, were not compatible with Freemasonry, Grand Lodges would
not promote or distribute the book.

Can we understand Freemasonry without understanding the Secret
Doctrine?

Swinburne Clymer wrote the following in The MYSTICISM OF MASONRY: (21)

"The Secret Doctrine is the complete philosophy of Masonic Symbolism."
(page 48)

Clymer's statement is correct. The true nature of the Masonic Lodge cannot be
understood without understanding the Secret Doctrine and comparing it to the
Gospel of Jesus. Masonic author George Steinmetz wrote The LOST WORD ITS
HIDDEN Meaning. (22) The jacket flap of the book contains a statement that the
book was "Written with the primary purpose of delving into the Secret Doctrine
in Freemasonry."

Chapter 2 is titled The Secret Doctrine. Steinmetz wrote:

"The Secret Doctrine, being the real secret of Freemasonry, is not divulged
even to the candidate. There is no machinery set up in the ritual contained
therein through their use, the purpose, and the Secret Doctrine itself is not
even acknowledged to exist . . . Officially, the ritual is 'all that there is.'
and no Grand Lodge will go beyond that fact and attempt to define the
teachings of Masonry, nor will any Grand Lodge (to my knowledge)

admit the existence of the Secret Doctrine which is so openly discussed
and written about by Masonic students and authorities on Masonic
symbolism, (pages 10-11)

Steinmetz continues:

"The Secret Doctrine in Freemasonry cannot be too strongly stressed.
Firstly, because there are those, in the Order, who in their lack of
knowledge claim that it does not exist; secondly, because the seeking
Mason can gain no further light than is shed by the ritual itself, until he
starts his quest for the REAL SECRETS of the hidden Mysteries of
Freemasonry and they are found WITHIN THE SECRET DOCTRINE!
(pages 12-13)

After considering the writings of Steinmetz, the Indiana Monitor and
Freemason's Guide, the Kentucky Monitor and Masonic Lodge Methods by
Blakemore, we gain a better understanding of the method. The Lodge avoids
directly referring to the Secret Doctrine. Instead, it tells the new Master Mason
that there is more to learn and the way to learn is to read. This method of
instruction provides Grand Lodges an ability to deny responsibility for the Secret
Doctrine or even to deny the existence of the Secret Doctrine. Even as they deny
the existence of the Secret Doctrine, they continue to encourage the discovery of
it. Masonic practice casts serious doubt on the credibility of denials of either the
existence of the Secret Doctrine, or that it accurately reflects Masonic teaching.

Additional Details of the Meaning of the Legend of the Third Degree

The Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide stated of the Legend of the Third
Degree:

"By its legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we have been redeemed
from the death of sin and the sepulchre of pollution, (pages 144-145)

The Indiana Monitor makes the claim that Masons are redeemed from the death
of sin, yet the monitor fails to explain the details of the salvation process. MYSTIC
MASONRY, by J.D. Buck contains a more complete explanation of the meaning of
the Legend of the Third Degree:

"In the third degree the candidate impersonates Hiram, who has been
shown to be identical with the Christos of the Greeks, and with the Sun-
Gods of all other nations. The superiority of Masonry at this point over all
exoteric Religions consists in this: All these religions take the symbol for
the thing symbolized. Christ was originally like the father. Now He is
made identical with the Father. In deifying Jesus the whole of humanity is
bereft of Christos as an eternal potency within every human soul, a latent
Christ in every man.

In thus deifying one man, they have orphaned the whole of humanity! On
the other hand. Masonry, in making every candidate personify Hiram, has
preserved the original teaching, which is a universal glyphic. Few
candidates may be aware that Hiram whom they have represented and
personified is ideally, and precisely the same as Christ. Yet such is
undoubtedly the case. This old philosophy shows what Christ as a glyphic

means, and how the Christ-state results from real Initiation, or from the
evolution of the human into the Divine, pages 133-134)

The thrust of the paragraph is that Jesus is not unique. Buck writes that Hiram
Abiff is identical to Jesus the Christ! Buck states that by declaring Jesus to be
uniquely God, orthodox Christianity has deprived the whole of humanity from
the possibility of becoming Christs! The Christ-state is said to be the goal for each
man. Each Mason can evolve from the human into the Divine through Masonic
Initiation! In other words, man can become God!

Most Masons will deny that this could be a viable explanation of the Legend of
the Third Degree. Some are sincere and are simply ignorant of the facts. A Master
Mason who was raised in Kentucky claimed that he had never seen anything in
his Masonic experience that would in any way agree with the interpretation of
J.D. Buck. He claimed that none of the materials he had been given contained
anything similar. The man said that he had not read any Masonic book other
than the Kentucky Monitor. Yet, the Kentucky Monitor contains the following
text in the preface. The context is a discussion of the religions of antiquity and
how each believed in a Mediator or Redeemer.

"All believed in a future life, to be attained by purification and trials; in a
state or successive states of reward and punishment; and in a Mediator or
Redeemer, by whom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and the
Supreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that He
was to be born of a virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called
him Krishna; the Chinese, Kioun-tse; the Persians, Sosiosch; the
Chaldeans, Dhouvanai; the Egyptians, Horus; Plato, Love; the

Scandinavians, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram. It is
interesting that the 'small hill west of Mount Moriah' has been identified
as Golgotha, or Mount Calvary, (pages XIV-XV)

The meaning of this paragraph in the Kentucky Monitor is clear. Jesus is the
redeemer of Christians and Hiram is a redeemer for Masons! The Kentucky
Monitor clearly presents Hiram Abiff as being in the same classification as Jesus!
It even identifies the'small hill west of Mount Moriah' with Calvary!

The Ahiman REZON, the monitor of South Carolina, supports the identification
of Hiram with Jesus:

"The small hill near Mount Moriah can be clearly identified by the most
convincing analogies as being no other than Mount Calvary . . . The
Christian Mason will readily perceive the peculiar character of the
symbolism which this identification of the spot on which the great truth of
the resurrection was unfolded in both systems(the Masonic and the
Christianjmust suggest, "(pages 147-148)

The preface to the Kentucky Monitor contains other comparisons. In a discussion
of the book of John, which they say was written to prove the authors view of a
contested question, the following is found:

"He commences his essay, eln the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.' Of course the Word was lost at the
death of the Christian's Redeemer, Jesus, as at the death of Hiram. ( page
XVI)

Jesus is the Word. The Kentucky Monitor states that the Word was lost when
Jesus died. Christians know that Jesus is alive and the Word was not lost. Jesus
rose from the dead and stands victorious. They are clearly implying that Jesus is
dead. The final portion from the preface of the Kentucky Monitor that verifies the
correctness of J. D. Buck's interpretation of the ritual concerns the teaching that
man can become God. From the Kentucky Monitor:

"The three really great rituals of the human race are the ritual of ancient
Hinduism, the Mass of the Christian Church, and the Third Degree of
Masonry. Widely as they may differ in detail, and far apart as they may
seem to be in externals, yet together they testify to the profoundest insight
of the human soul, that God becomes man that man may become God!
"(page XX)

There are at least two major issues to be considered here. First, the Kentucky
Monitor agrees with Buck's interpretation that man can become God! The second
is the implication that God (Jesus) became man and then became God. Jesus
became man but. He NEVER became God. HE WAS ALWAYS GOD. The
implication that he became God is very close to implying that he became a
Christ! It is equivalent to saying that Jesus was not Christ when he came in the
flesh.

The original source of this text is page 183 of The BUILDERS, by Joseph Fort
Newton. Those Lodges that present that book to new Master Masons are
providing training materials that directly state that man can become God.

Additional details of the Secret Doctrine reveal the Masonic plan of salvation
more completely. MYSTIC MASONRY, by J.D. Buck, M.D., contains a chapter titled
The Secret Doctrine. Buck writes:

"Every soul must 'work out its own salvation,' and 'take the Kingdom of
Heaven by force.' Salvation by faith and the vicarious atonement were not
taught, as now interpreted, by Jesus, nor are these doctrines taught in the
exoteric Scriptures. They are later and ignorant perversions of the original
doctrines. In the Early Church, as in the Secret Doctrine, there was not one
Christ for the whole world, but a potential Christ in every man." (page 57)

Later in the chapter Buck further explains:

"It is far more important that men should strive to become Christs than
that they should believe that Jesus was Christ. If the Christ-state can be
attained by but one human being during the whole evolution of the race,
then the evolution of man is a farce and human perfection an
impossibility. Jesus is no less Divine because all men may reach the same
Divine perfection, (page 62)

According to the Secret Doctrine, faith in Jesus the Christ is not necessary for
salvation. Notice that in the Secret Doctrine, the meaning of Christ has been
redefined. Instead of referring to the Messiah when they use the term, they refer
to a state or condition which man can attain. The Secret Doctrine teaches that
Jesus was Christ, but he was not the only one to attain that state. Being Christ is
vital to Masonic salvation.

The Secret Doctrine states that each man must work out his own salvation.
According to the Secret Doctrine, Jesus is not unique. He is just another man; all
men can become Christs. But, what does the Bible say?

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me "(John 14:6)

"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by
him doth this man stand here before you whole. {11} This is the stone which was
set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. {12} Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:1-12)

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by
his grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus. "(Romans 3:23)

Terminology of the Secret Doctrine

The terminology of the Secret Doctrine of the Masonic Lodge is largely
unfamiliar to Christians and for that matter, many Masons. General categories of
terms describe major concepts. Often multiple terms are used to refer to a
particular concept. Cosmic consciousness, Christ-consciousness and possession
of the Lost Word all refer to the same state, the Christ-state, wherein the
individual Mason has worked out his own salvation. Initiation, Evolution, Divine
Science, Science of Soul Development and Soul Architecture, are terms that all
describe the same salvation process.

In the Secret Doctrine, possession of the Lost Word is the key to salvation. In The
Mysticism of Masonry, Clymer writes:

"After the candidate is obligated and brought to Light in the third degree,
he is bantered with the statement that undoubtedly he now imagines
himself a Master Mason. He is informed not only that such is not the case
but that there is no certainty that he will ever become such. He
subsequently starts on his journey for the discovery of the Lost Word.”
(page 49)

Clymer refers here to that section of the third degree ritual just prior to the
portion where the candidate portrays Hiram Abiff. The candidate is intentionally
misled that the Lodge is about to be closed. He is asked how it feels to be a
Master Mason, etc. and then the Worshipful Master tells him, "Brother (man's
name), you are not yet a Master Mason, neither do I know that you will ever be. "

The hoodwink is again placed over his eyes before the ritual continues. The
candidate then portrays Hiram Abiff in the Legend of the Third Degree that
deals with the death of Hiram and the loss of the Word. Clymer writes of the
Lost Word:

"Every man who takes upon himself the Masonic obligation, can, if he
will, find this Lost Word. The material required in the process of
transmutation is within himself as surely as a man who has his cellar filled
with coal and a furnace wherein to burn it, has all that is required to start
a roaring fire which will heat his house. Finding the Lost Word is an

individual work. Each Soul must accomplish it or miss Immortality and
this is true whether a man be a churchman or a Mason or both, (page 55)

In the last sentence, Clymer claims that churchmen, those who have accepted
Jesus as their Lord and Savior and who have faith in Jesus as the Christ, will not
have salvation unless they also find the Lost Word.

Other Masonic writers stress the importance of finding the Lost Word. Consider
the words of Rev. Charles H. Vail in Ancient Mysteries and Modern Masonry:

( 23 )

"The symbol of the Lost Word and the legend of the search for it,
embodies the whole design of Lreemasonry. The primary object of
Lreemasonry is the search after Divine Truth. The Word is a symbol of this
Divine Truth, and this truth is the key to the Science of the Soul, "(page
211 )

Vail reveals clearly that the Lost Word is not a literal word but a symbol that
represents Divine Truth. Masonic writer Manly Palmer Hall wrote The LOST
KEYS of Lreemasonry. Hall was lifted up as Masonry's greatest philosopher in
his obituary in the November 1990 issue of The Scottish Rite Journal. Although
Hall wrote more than 50 books and 65 smaller works. The Lost Keys of
Lreemasonry is the most well known and used. ( 24 ) The obituary stated, "Hall did
not teach a new doctrine but was an ambassador of an ageless tradition of
wisdom that enriches us to this day." ( 25 )

Hall wrote of the Lost Word in his work. The LOST KEYS OF LREEMASONRY:

"The Word is found when the Master himself is ordained by the living
hand of God, cleansed by living water, baptized by living fire, a Priest
King after the Order of Melchizedek who is above the law." (page 59)

Hall is saying that the Master Mason becomes a Christ when the Lost Word is
found. The Melchizedek priesthood is the priesthood of Jesus Christ, mentioned
in Hebrews 5:5-6. The teaching that man can become a Christ is the cornerstone
of the Secret Doctrine. Masonry's greatest philosopher embraced that teaching until
his death in 1990.

In Ancient Operative Masonry, ( 26 ) S.R. Parchment sums up Masonic
teaching on the Lost Word, the Christ within and redemption contained in the
Secret Doctrine:

"The 'Lost Word' is the Christ within, to which the Mystic Mason looks for
redemption. Thus the Master Jesus, who was an Initiate of the Ancient
Operative School, taught his followers that the kingdom of heaven is
within. In the early church, as in the secret doctrine, there was not a
personal Christ for the whole world but a potential Christ in every living
being. Yea, the mystic while investigating the intangible realms beholds
potential Christs in the atoms that compose the universe. Hence Masons
believe in the Architect of the Universe, but positively not in Jesus the
man as the only Son of God. (Page 35)

Discovering the Lost Word

The process through which the Lost Word is rediscovered is known as Initiation.
Initiation, Evolution, Divine Science, Science of Soul Development, Soul
Architecture, and rediscovery of the Lost Word are all important terms in the
language of the Secret Doctrine and all describe the salvation process.
Understanding the Secret Doctrine, requires understanding Masonic Initiation.

The significance of Initiation

H.L. Haywood wrote about the significance of Initiation in the chapter titled The
Meaning of Initiation and Secrecy in THE GREAT TEACHINGS OF MASONRY:

"Masonic initiation is intended to be quite as profound and as
revolutionizing an experience. As result of it the candidate should become
a new man: he should have a new range of thought; a new feeling about
mankind; a new idea about God..." (page 31)

After the reader has become fully aware of the Secret Doctrine the statement will
be understood to have a ponderous meaning. In the chapter titled The Secret
Doctrine Continued, in Buck's book MYSTIC MASONRY, we find that the process
of Human Evolution (Initiation) is one in which man evolves from man into God
by becoming Christ.

". . . becoming perfect in Humanity, man attains Divinity. In other words,
he becomes Christos. This is the meaning, aim, and consummation of
Human Evolution; and this Philosophy defines the one-only process by
which it may be attained. The Perfect Man is Christ: and Christ is God.
This is the birthright and destiny of every human soul, (page 85-86)

Initiation is the evolutionary process by which the Secret Doctrine declares that
man can become a Christ and therefore God. This is the same deception that
Satan used with Eve.

The Technique of Initiation

Those unacquainted with the Secret Doctrine would initially assume that
Initiation is a ceremony, but such a assumption is incorrect. MYSTIC MASONRY,
by Buck contains an explanation:

"All real Initiation is an internal, not an external process ... It is thus that
man must 'work out his own salvation.' The consummation of initiation is
the Perfect Master, the Christos, for these are the same. They are the goal,
the perfect consummation of human evolution, (page 86)

This provides a clue to the true nature of Initiation. Initiation does not refer to a
ceremony, but to an internal process. The discipline of Initiation is discussed in
great detail in The MASONIC INITIATION, (27) by W. L. Wilmshurst:

"It may be a surprise to some members of our Craft to be told that our
ceremonial rites, as at present performed, do not constitute or confer real
Initiation at all, in the original sense of admitting a man to the solemn
mysteries of the human soul, and to practical experience in divine science.
. . . We profess to confer Initiation, but few Masons know what real
Initiation involves; very few, one fears, would have the wish, the courage.

or the willingness to make the necessary sacrifices to attain it if they did.
(page 17)

The meaning of the last sentence in this last quotation is profound. What kinds of
sacrifices are required? Wilmshurst's statement that few Masons know what real
Initiation involves is true. His suggestion that very few would be willing to make
the required sacrifice if they did understand is also true. Wilmshurst continues:

"For real Initiation means an expansion of consciousness from the human
to the divine level, (page 19)

"For those upon the path to real Initiation, meditation is essential.

(page 45)

" . . Initiation always occurs when the physical body is in a state of trance
or sleep, and when the temporarily liberated consciousness has been
transferred to a higher level . . . yet in the actual experience of soul-
architecture Initiation succeeds Initiation upon increasingly higher levels
of the ladder as the individual becomes correspondingly ripe for them,
able to bear their strain and to assimilate their revelations, (page 87-88)

"Initiation has no other end than this conscious union between the
individual soul and the Universal Divine Spirit, (page 54)

So then. Initiation is a process in which a Mason goes into trance by passive
meditation and attains conscious union; that is, he establishes communications
with the Masonic god. By attaining conscious union with that god, he becomes a

Christ. The process of Initiation recurs over months and years and after each
conscious union with the Masonic god he has new understandings about himself
and about the god. Initiation is evolutionary; the Mason evolves into a god
himself.

Identifying the God of Freemasonry

Clearly Masons, who discover the Lost Word through the process of Initiation,
do not attain conscious union with their god through Jesus. They deny that Jesus
is the one true Christ. From the writings of John, we can be certain that the God
of the Bible is not the Masonic god.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the
Father: (but) he that acknowledged i the Son hath the Father also. "(1 John 2:22-
23)

John tells us that he that denies that Jesus is the Christ is antichrist. Paul tells us
that there is only one God and one Christ:

"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in
him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1
Corinthians 8:6)

The Secret Doctrine teaches that Jesus was born an ordinary man and that he
became a Christ later. He did not come as Christ in the flesh. The MEANING OF
MASONRY, (28) by Lynn Perkins contains the following:

"Jesus of Nazareth had attained a level of consciousness, of perfection, that
has been called by various names: cosmic consciousness, soul
regeneration, philosophic initiation, spiritual illumination, Brahmic
Splendor, Christ-consciousness. (page 53)

Perkins writes that Jesus attained Christ-consciousness. Perkins is saying that
Jesus did not have Christ-consciousness, which is the same thing as the
consciousness of Christ, when he came in the flesh. We know from the writings
of John that the god of Freemasonry is the spirit of Antichrist:

"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not
of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)

Conscious Union with the Spirit of Antichrist

Masons who embrace the Secret Doctrine attain conscious union with the spirit
of Antichrist. Manly Palmer Hall offers some clues in The LOST KEYS OF
Freemasonry:

"When the Mason learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the
proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the
mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and

before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to
properly apply energy." (page 48)

Hall, Freemasonry's Greatest Philosopher, indicates that Lucifer is the power
behind the Lodge and that those who learn the mysteries of the Craft may tap
into the seething energies of Lucifer. Hall also identifies the spirit which Masons
attain union with in words which most Masons do not understand:

"In Freemasonry is concealed the mystery of creation, the answer to the
problem of existence, and the path the student must tread in order to join
those who are really the living powers behind the thrones of modern
national and international affairs, (page 18)

The Master Mason, if he be truly a Master, is in communication with the
unseen powers that move the destinies of life, (page 57)

What does the Bible say? Who is this unseen power that controls the world?

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under
the control of the evil one ."(1 John 5:19 NIV)

The BUILDERS was written by Joseph Fort Newton in 1914. It is the classic that
today is often presented to newly raised Master Masons. The bibliography
contains references to most of the major books and authors that reveal the hidden
meanings behind Masonry. In the chapter titled Secret Doctrine, the following is
found:

"Perhaps the greatest student in this field of esoteric teaching and method,
certainly the greatest now living, is Arthur Edward Waite, to whom it is a
pleasure to pay tribute, (page 57)

The tribute continues from page 57 through page 61. Newton speaks of Waite's
writings as:

"... a series of volumes noble in form, united in aim, unique in wealth of
revealing beauty, and of unequaled worth.

(page 59)

Waite, who until his death in 1945 was considered a great student of the Secret
Doctrine, wrote such books as DEVIL WORSHIP IN FRANCE, The BOOK OF BLACK
Magic, and The Way of Divine Union. On pages 244 through 248 of The Book
OF BLACK Magic, (29) are detailed instructions for conjuring Emperor Lucifer,
conjuring Lucifer, Master and Prince of Rebellious Spirits. For obvious reasons it
will not be quoted here. Waite, one of the Masonic greats, was a Luciferian.

Scriptural Evidence of Demonic Communication

Is conscious union with the spirit of Antichrist or communication with demons
possible? Consider Paul's words to Timothy:

"Nozv the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in
hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; "(1 Timothy 4:1-2)

It is obvious that for anyone to give heed to seducing spirits and their doctrines,
the doctrines must be communicated from the seducing spirits to man. The
Masonic doctrine that a Mason can become a Christ is not of God. It is clearly of
Satan, the Antichrist. Masonic Initiation is a process, central to the Secret
Doctrine, whereby the doctrines of devils are communicated to Masons by
demons while they are in trance. The previously quoted passage from The
MASONIC Initiation can be understood to agree with the realities as predicted in
scripture:

". . . yet in the actual experience of soul-architecture Initiation succeeds
Initiation upon increasingly higher levels of the ladder as the individual
becomes correspondingly ripe for them, able to bear their strain and to
assimilate their revelations.

(page 87-88)

The process of Masonic Initiation is one in which the conscience of the individual
is seared as with a hot iron. As his spirit is progressively deadened, he is able to
bear more and then more of the revelations of darkness.

What is the expected result of Masonic Initiation?

Knowing the identity of the Masonic god, a clear understanding of the result of
conscious union with that god becomes possible. From ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND
Modern Masonry:

"Initiation, as we shall see in a subsequent lecture, was regeneration, a real
spiritual 'new becoming' or re-birth. The candidate himself became the

thing symbolized: Hermes, Buddha, Christ, etc. This state was the result of
real Initiation, an evolution of the human into the divine, (page 33)

He is saying that a Masonic initiate is reborn and has a new becoming. When a
man becomes a Christian, he is reborn. Masonry has a similar born-again
experience that will literally change a man's life. From The Masonic Initiation:

"True self-knowledge is unobstructed conscious union of the human spirit
with God and the realization of their identity. In that identic union the
unreal, superficial selves have become obliterated. The sense of
personality is lost, merged in the Impersonal and Universal. The little Ego
is assumed into the great All, and knows as It knows. Man realizes his
own inherent ultimate Divinity, and thenceforth lives and acts no longer
as a separate individual, with an independent will, but in integration with
the Divine Life and Will, whose instrument he becomes, whose purposes
he thenceforth serves, (page 49)

The Mason becomes unable to act as a separate individual and becomes an
instrument of the Masonic god. From ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND MODERN
MASONRY, by Rev. Charles H. Vail:

"The consummation of all this was to make the Initiate a God, either by
union with a Divine Being without or by the realization of the Divine Self
within, (page 25

With a clear understanding of the Secret Doctrine, we can understand the true
meaning of the following passages that were quoted previously. From the

chapter titled The Meaning of Initiation and Secrecy in The Great TEACHINGS OF
Masonry:

"Masonic initiation is intended to be quite as profound and
revolutionizing an experience. As a result of it the candidate should
become a new man: he should have a new range of thought; a new feeling
about mankind; a new idea about God ... (page 31)

The statement from The MASONIC INITIATION, by W. L. Wilmshurst also can be
seen to have a profound meaning:

"We profess to confer Initiation, but few Masons know what real Initiation
involves; very few, one fears, would have the wish, the courage, or the
willingness to make the necessary sacrifices to attain it if they did. (page
17)

Understanding the Purpose of the Masonic Lodge

In The Great Teachings of Masonry. H. L. Haywood wrote the following:

"The Fraternity itself exists in order to keep fixed on a man a certain set of
influences, and in order to bring about certain changes in the world, etc.:
its secrecy is a means to that end, and helps to make such a purpose
possible, (page 33)

It is clear from an understanding of the Secret Doctrine and of Scripture, the
certain set of influences Haywood is referring to are demons. Haywood reveals

the reason for Masonic secrecy. From The MASONIC INITIATION, we can see that
the objective of Masonry is to bring men under the influence of demons through
the process of Masonic Initiation:

"Initiation has no other end than this conscious union between the
individual soul and the Universal Divine Spirit." (page 54)

"... the whole purpose and end of Initiation, the union of the personal
soul with its Divine Principle. Masonry has no other objective than this;
all other matters of interest connected with it are but details subsidiary to
this supreme achievement, (page 55)

Summary

The following is a summary of the major teachings contained in the Secret
Doctrine:

1. There is not one Christ for the whole world, but a potential Christ in
each man. It is far more important to become a Christ than it is to believe
that Jesus was Christ.

2. Since each man can become a Christ himself. Masons have no need for
the cleansing blood of Jesus.

3. Through the process of Masonic Initiation, man may attain conscious
union with the god of Freemasonry. The process of Masonic Initiation is

not a ceremony, but an internal process that occurs while the individual is
in trance.

4. When conscious union with the Masonic god is attained, the Lost Word
is found. The Mason has worked out his own salvation. He has become a
Christ and thus a god himself.

But, that is just not so. Jesus said it as simply as it could be stated,

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. (John 14:6)

Endnotes

1. Rituals, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, Macoy Publishing and Masonic
Supply Company, Inc., pages 566-571.

2. Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, 1959, 1975, Grand Lodge of
Indiana, page 37-38.

3. Charter, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, Henry Wilson Coil, 1961, Macoy
Publishing & Masonic supply company, page 125.

4. Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, 1975 edition, page 23.

5 . Indiana Blue Book of Masonic Law, 1953, Grand Lodge Free and Accepted

Masons of the State of Indiana, page 75.

6. Masonic Manual and Code, 1944, Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted
Masons of Georgia, page 313.

7. Ibid, page 315.

8. Masonic Text Book, 19th edition, 1919, The Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M.
of the State of West Virginia, page 25.

9. Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, page 11.

10. The Great Teachings of Masonry, H. L. Haywood, Copyrights 1921-1922
by The National Masonic Research Society, 1923 by The Masonic Service
Association of the United States, 1971 and 1986 by Macoy Publishing and
Masonic Supply Company, Inc.

11. Manual of the Lodge, Albert G. Mackey, 1861, Macoy & Sickles, page 96.

12. Ibid, Page 96.

13. The Ahiman Rezon or Book of Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of
Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, 1947, Compiled and arranged by the
authority of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, originally edited by Albert G.
Mackey, M.D.

14. Carolina Lodge Manual, 1979, The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and
Accepted Masons of North Carolina, page 53.

15. Monitor and Ceremonies, Ancient, Free, and accepted Masons, 1923, The
Grand Lodge of Nebraska, pages 56-57.

16. Masonic Manual of Alabama, Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Alabama, 1913,
pages 42 and 78.

Florida Masonic Monitor, Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Florida, 1977, pages 39, 109-
110 .

Masonic Manual and Code, Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Georgia, 1944, pages 22
and 70.

The Idaho Monitor, Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of the State of Idaho, 1903,
pages 11 and 53.

The Official Monitor of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, State of Illinois, Grand Lodge of Illinois, 1962, pages 24 and
66 .

Indiana Monitor and Freemason's Guide, Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free
and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana, 1959, 1975, pages 63-64 and 101-
102 .

Shaver's Masonic Monitor, William M. Shaver, Past Grand Master of the Most
Worshipful Grand Lodge of Kansas, 1899, pages 37 and 103.

The Kentucky Monitor, Henry Pirtle, Past Master, 1946, pages 41 and 145.
Michigan Monitor and Ceremonies, Grand Lodge F. & A. M., Michigan, 1911,
pages 10 and 39.

Masonic Manual and Monitorial Instructions of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M.
of Minnesota, Grand Lodge of Minnesota, 1964, pages 21 and 5.

Blue Lodge Text-Book, Official publication of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi
Free and Accepted Masons, 1978, pages 15 and 44.

Monitor and Ceremonies, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, Grand Lodge of
Nebraska, 1923, pages 25 and 65.

North Carolina Lodge Manual, Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons of North Carolina, 1979, pages 25 and 65.

Manual of Dayton Lodge No. 147, Free and Accepted Masons, Dayton, Ohio,
1921, (issued 1940), pages 68 and 90.

Manual of Miami Valley Lodge No. 660, Free and Accepted Masons, Dayton,
Ohio, 1921, (issued 1955), pages 29 and 51.

Ahiman Rezon, Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, 1947,
pages 90 and 155.

Tennessee Craftsman or Masonic Textbook, Grand Lodge F. and A. M., 1972,
pages 22 and 95.

A Manual of Freemasonry adapted to the Work and Government of the Lodges
Subordinate to the Grand Lodge of Texas, Wm. M. Taylor, Past Grand Master,
1883, 29 and 81.

Virginia Text Book, Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Virginia, 1944,
pages 94, 122 and 123.

Masonic Text Book for use of the Lodges in West Virginia, Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of the State of West Virginia, 1919, pages 41 and
84-85.

17. Masonic Lodge Methods, L. B. Blakemore, 1953, Masonic History
Company, also 1953, Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company.

18. Catalog No. 119, September 1, 1992, Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply
Co., Inc., page 105

19. The Builders, Joseph fort Newton, 1914, 1951, Macoy Publishing &
Masonic supply co., Inc.

20. Kentucky Monitor, Eighth edition, 1946, arranged by Henry Pirtle, Past
Master, Copyright, 1921, The Standard Printing Co. Incorporated, Louisville, Ky.

21. The Mysticism of Masonry, R. Swinburne Clymer, M.D., 1924, The
Philosophical Publishing Company. Originally published under the title Ancient
Mystical Oriental Masonry.

22. The Lost Word Its Hidden Meaning, George Steinmetz, 1953, Macoy
Masonic Publishing and Supply Company.

23. The Ancient Mysteries and Modern Masonry, Rev. Charles H. Vail, 32,
1909, Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company.

24. The Lost Keys of Lreemasonry. Manly Palmer Hall, 1923, Macoy
Publishing and Masonic Supply Co. Inc. was listed as his best known writing.

25. Scottish Rite Journal, November, 1990, page 22, Official monthly
publication of the Supreme Council, 33, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Lreemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction, United States of America.

26. Ancient Operative Masonry, S. R. Parchment, 1930, W. B. Conkey
Company.

27. The Masonic Initiation, Walter L. Wilmshurst, 1924, Percy Lund
Humphries & Co. Limited, London, reprinted, 1980 Trismegistus Press, United
States.

28. The Meaning of Masonry, Lynn F. Perkins, CSA Press, distributed by
Macoy, etal.

29. The Book of Black Magic, Arthur Edward Waite, first American printing
1972 by Samuel Weiser, Inc., sixth printing 1989.

CHAPTER TEN

Freemasonry

The Witchcraft Connection

by William J. Schnoebelen

William Schnoebelen was deeply involved in both Witchcraft as a Wiccan high
priest and the Masonic order for many years. He was a Mason for nine years and
a Witch for sixteen years. In the Lodge, he held offices of Junior Warden in the
Blue Lodge, Prelate in the Commandery of the York Rite, Master of the Veil in
the Royal Arch degree, and Associate Patron in the Order of the Eastern Star.
Additionally, he was a 32° Mason and a Shriner. He is now a Born Again
Christian and the author of 5 books, including
Masonry: Beyond the Light.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...—

ISamuel 15:23

In understanding the spiritual difficulties of a Born Again Christian being a
Mason, it is necessary to realize that there are highly occult elements woven into
the very warp and woof of Freemasonry. Thus, the Lodge is not just "another
religion" like the Muslims or the Buddhists — although that alone should be
enough to keep Christians from involving themselves in it. The nature and
character of the Lodge's deepest theological underpinnings are rooted in
Witchcraft and Paganism.

Now that may be an astonishing assertion to some, especially to most Masons.
However, it is very easily proven. Few people, within the Craft of Masonry or
otherwise, perceive that just because a Bible lies open on the altar and Bible
verses and characters play an important part in the ritual of the Lodge, that this
does not prevent the Lodge from being of the nature of the occult or Witchcraft.

This can be illustrated by a very simple illustration. Back in the 1970's, when I
first became a Witch, a very popular how-to book on magic was Raymond
Buckland's POPULAR CANDLE-BURNING. 1 In this book were "recipes" for
spells for everything from healing, to love spells, to protection spells. On one set
of pages of the book would be a spell for healing, complete with instructions on
the burning and movement of certain colored candles. The spell would be a full-
blown Witchcraft ritual. Pagan to the core!

On the following pages would be the same ritual, with the same candles, the
same instructions. However, the text of the "spell" would be drawn from the
Psalms or other Bible verses. These were provided for readers who were a little
too squeamish to actually do a Witchcraft incantation, but still wanted results.

Now the question becomes: Even though those rituals were full of Psalms, were they
still Witchcraft? Of course, the answer would have to be yes. In like manner, even
though Bible phrases and characters abound in the Masonic ritual work, the
presence of those elements cannot somehow "sanctify" what is essentially a
Pagan ritual full of Witchcraft overtones.

DEFINING TERMS:

Perhaps it would be helpful to have a few terms defined before we go further.
Witchcraft (or Wicca,2 the term for "white" or good Witchcraft) can be broadly
defined as a mystery religion based on the ancient fertility cults of Pre-Christian
Europe. Many Witches are polytheists — meaning that they believe in more than
one god or goddess. Some are monotheists, believing in only one deity. Even
most polytheistic Witches today, however, acknowledge that ultimately there is
one supreme deity somewhere. The popular saying by 20^ century master
occultist Dion Fortune (Violet Firth) speaks to this: "All Gods are one God, all
Goddesses are one Goddess, and there is but one Initiator." Pressed, you will find that
most knowledgeable Witches will reveal that the "one Initiator" is Lucifer, who
is the Light-Bringer, the Illuminator, and the sun-deity. Fie is not felt to be a
devil-figure by Wiccans, but only the consort of the Great Mother Goddess.

Witchcraft, in its religious sense, involves the veneration of the forces of
reproduction — both in plant, animal and human life. Thus, human and animal
sexuality are revered, the cycle of the seasons celebrated; and rituals do
frequently involve the use of ritual tools which symbolize the human
reproductive organs (wands, daggers, goblets, cauldrons, etc.) Many Witchcraft
groups even have ritual sex, believing that this is an important way to encounter
the gods.

The term, "mystery religion" means that it is a religion in which elements are
kept hidden from the "profane" (non-members). You can only learn these
elements by going through a formal initiation in which you are ceremonially set
apart from the masses and sworn formally to secrecy. Only then are you
entrusted with the group's secrets, and then in degrees. In other words, there are

things a "third grade" or "third degree" Witch is allowed to know that a first
degree Witch is not.

A secondary element in Witchcraft is the belief in magic. However, it is ONLY
secondary — contrary to popular belief. A good — though broad — definition of
magic which many Witches would accept is that given by magician (and 33°
Mason) Aleister Crowley: "the art and science of causing change to occur in
conformity with [your] will." Though this definition is broad enough to include
things normally not thought of as magic, like picking up a pencil (you caused a
change in the pencil's position to occur in conformity with your will); most
Witches understand it to mainly apply to causing change to occur without a
visible, tangible cause in the environment.

Many Witches do not attempt to "work magic" (in the sense of trying to cause
change to occur in the forces of nature or human beings) but just enjoy
worshipping their gods or goddesses. Thus it is not an absolute requirement that
Witch practice magic, or that a magician be a Witch. In fact, the above-mentioned
Aleister Crowley would never have called himself a Witch (or warlock).^

Finally, we need to define Paganism. This is basically a belief in the forces of
nature as being sacred. Pagans are usually pantheists, in that they belief that a
kind of god-force is in everything — trees, animals, rocks, etc. Essentially, a Pagan
believes most everything the Witch believes, but is kind of a lay person, whereas
a Witch is more of a Priestess or Shaman. The typical Pagan may not have access
to some of the deeper "mysteries" of Witchcraft that are not available to the un-
initiated.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS: RITUAL RESEMBLANCES

With these definitions in mind, we can begin to examine the similarities between
the Masonic theology and ritual and the workings of a Witchcraft group. One
point, however, must be clarified. Modern Wicca is just that — modern. Although
it claims mythic descent to groups back in the Stone Age, it is actually a
comparatively modern religion. As it is currently constituted, Wicca is barely a
century old. This is not to say that it doesn't draw on elements from the ancient
mystery cults. To be certain, it does — to a high degree. However, it is a difficult
task to ascertain whether contemporary Wicca so strongly resembles
Freemasonry because two of its principle architects (Aleister Crowley and Gerald
B. Gardner) were Masons; or whether that similarity is a derivation of more
ancient practices.

As interesting an academic point as that might be, it is essentially irrelevant to
the broader question. If Masonic rituals were engrafted into Witchcraft in the late
19^ and early 20^ century, and if that melding was so seamless and effortless —
even to the point that in some cases, the Wiccan rites were less bizarre and
blasphemous than there Masonic counterpart, then what message does that send
about Masonry? As a preacher friend of mine, Jim Spencer, observed, "If the devil
can preach my sermons without changing them much, what does that say about my
sermons?"

With that point in mind, let us look first at the ritual similarities between
contemporary Wicca and Freemasonry:

A) Both are built on a foundational system of three degrees; with a few
forms of Wicca offering some higher degrees after the third degree has
been achieved.

B) Both are secret societies; in that both membership rolls are secret, and
secrets are kept from the general populace (to a greater or lesser degree)
by both religions. Both generally meet in secret, except for rare open and
public events.

C) Both have highly ceremonial initiations to pass from one degree to
another, including sworn oaths.

D) Both have ceremonial purgings and purifications of their ritual space
before commencing any ritual work.

E) The precise similarities between the two groups are: Both groups...

1. Cause candidates to strip off all secular clothing

2. Cause the candidate to be divested of all metal

3. Hoodwink (blindfold) the candidate and ceremonially tie ropes
around him — though the form of the tying varies.

4. Cause the candidate to stand in the Northeast corner of the
"temple'"^ in the first degree

5. Challenge the candidate by piercing their naked chest with a
sharp instrument (Witches use a sword. Masons, the point of a
compass)

6. Challenge the candidate with secret passwords

7. Lead the candidate blindfolded in a circumambulation (walking
around) of the temple.

8. Require the candidate to swear solemn oaths of secrecy before
being given custody of the secrets of the group.

Interestingly enough, the oaths of a Witch are much milder and less gruesome
than the oaths of a Freemason. Here is the text of a first grade oath from the
Witchcraft Book of Shadows (ritual work-book):

I, [NAME], in the presence of the Mighty Ones, do of my own free will
and accord, most solemnly swear that I will ever keep the secrets of the
Arte [Magical Arts— author] and never reveal the secrets of the Arte,
except it be to a proper person, properly prepared and within a magic
circle such as I am now in.

All this I swear, by all my hopes of a future life, mindful that my measure
has been taken; and may my weapons turn against me, if I should break
this, my solemn oath. 5

This sounds ridiculously mild in comparison to the 1° oath of an Entered
Apprentice Mason, which is too long to quote in its entirety, but which ends like
this:

All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and
steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same. . .binding myself under
no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn
out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low
water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours,
should I ever knowingly violate this my Entered Apprentice obligation, so
help me God and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same. 6

As all students of Freemasonry know, that grisly oath is but the beginning in a
series of ever more horrid oaths which the candidate is required to take. The oaths
of the three degrees of Witchcraft are like a Sunday School lesson by comparison!
But, let's return to our list of similarities:

9. Both have a ceremonial un-hoodwinking of the candidate, following the
oath, before lighted candles which is intended to bring "illumination."

10. Both convey to the new initiate the "working tools" pertinent to that
degree, and each of their uses are taught to them.

11. In both, the tools have correspondences both in the ceremonial realm,
and in similarities to human reproduction.

12. Both, in the higher degrees, take the initiate through a ritual death-
and-rebirth experience, in which the initiate acts the part of a hero
(heroine) of the Craft.

13. Both cause the candidate to endure (while being blindfolded) being
picked up, spun around, carried around, being jostled or struck from
person to person. This is supposed to produce an "altered state of
consciousness."

14. Both Wicca and Freemasonry are, by co-incidence or design, both
referred to as "The Craft."

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES

Having given almost two dozen precise similarities between the ritual work of
Witchcraft and the Lodge, it should not surprise us to see that there is also some
doctrinal or philosophical resemblance between the two:

A. Both Witches and Masons revere the powers of human reproduction
(albeit most Masons do so unknowingly). The most obvious example of
this is the use of the ceremonial Masonic apron, which covers the "Holy of
Holies" of Freemasonry, the male groin area. This fact has been
adequately documented in many places (elsewhere in this volume?)/

B. The authorities of Freemasonry, most notably Albert Pike, 33° and
Manly P. Hall, 33° (both occultists par excellance) write that the essential,
underlying philosophy of Freemasonry is Kabbalism and Gnosticism/

Kabbalism is a system of Jewish mysticism and magic and is THE
FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENT in modern Witchcraft.

Virtually all of the great Witches and sorcerers of this century were
Kabbalists. Gnosticism is an ancient, anti-Christian heresy best
summarized by the statement: "One is saved by acquiring secret,
unknown knowledge (Greek: gnosis)." Thus, all mystery religions,
including Witchcraft and Masonry are, perforce, Gnostic in character.

C. Both Witches and Freemasons seek salvation through "illumination" or
receiving "The Light." This is, in a way, a corollary to (B), but it is
important, because of the centrality of this symbolism in both sects.

D. Both groups teach a kind of salvation by works, not grace. 9 The occult
doctrine of reincarnation is explicitly taught in Witchcraft and implicitly
taught in the Lodge.

E. Finally, both groups deny the unique character and mission of the Lord
Jesus Christ.10 Both deny the resurrection of Christ.H Most people would
have no trouble believing that Witches deny these beliefs, but in this, the
Wicca are identical to the theology of the Lodge.

GETTING TO THE ROOT

There are also significant historical antecedents that go a long way towards
explaining this current "coziness" between Witchcraft and Masonry. It can be

readily shown that Freemasonry is rooted in the medieval occult societies of
Europe, such as the Templars and the Rosicrucians. ^

Indeed, many Masonic writers boast about these connections. Additional
associations pop up with the dangerously subversive Illuminati Ordnen of Adam
Weishaupt in the 18^ century. 13

It is vital to understand that this past interchange between Masonry and these
various occult groups did not stop in the 18^^ century. If anything, it has grown
more prominent in the past century. There is something about the Lodge that
has always attracted sorcerers. The historical list of occultists and Witches in the
last century who were Freemasons reads like a Who's Who of 20^ 1 century
occultism:

•Arthur Edward Waite — occult writer and Masonic historian

•Dr. Wynn Westcott — member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and
founding member of the occult Order of the Golden Dawn — the most
influential magical society of the 19^ - early 20 th century.

•S. L. MacGregor Mathers — co-founder of the Golden Dawn.

• Aleister Crowley — master Satanist of this century and founder of the
anti-christ religion of Thelema — claimed to be "The Great Beast 666".

•Dr. Gerard Encausse — (Papus) masterful author, teacher of the Tarot and
leader of the occult Martiniste society.

•Dr. Theodore Reuss — head of the O.T.O., a German occult /satanic
society which made Crowley its head for the British Isles.

•George Pickingill — the Grand Master Witch of 19 ^ century England,
leader of the "Pickingill covens."

•Annie Besant — leader of the occult Theosophical society and Co-Masonic
hierarch (Yes, there are female Masons!)!^

•Alice Bailey — founder of the proto-New Age organization, Lucis
(formerly Lucifer) Trust.

•Bishop Charles W. Leadbetter — Theosophist, mentor to the failed New
Age "Christ", Krishnamurti, and prelate in the occult Liberal Catholic
Church

•Manly P. Hall — Rosi crucian adept, author, founder of the Philosophical
Research Society.

•Gerald B. Gardner — founder of the modern Wiccan (white Witchcraft)
revival.

•Alex Sanders — self-styled "King of the Witches" in London and one of
the most influential leaders of Wicca after Gardner.

Would you really wish to belong to an organization which welcomed these
powerful sorcerers into its midst with open arms? This is not to mention the
many minor occultists (as I was), who are in the lodge — drawn by its mysterious
power. At least three or four of my male Witch friends were in the Masons, and
all of my leaders were! There is a real reason for this strong affinity between
Masonry and Witchcraft. It is because the Lodge is plugged into an international
network of Witchcraft — a hierarchy of evil.

The "All-Seeing Eye" of the Masons is, of course, an occult symbol. 15 Its use on
the Great Seal of the United States is not without significance either (see the back
of any dollar bill). You will note that the "Eye" is there perched atop an
incomplete pyramid with the date (in Roman numerals) of 1776 A.D. at the
bottom.

The year 1776 is also the year that Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati!

Then realize that the trapezoid (what the unfinished pyramid really is) is a most
significant symbol in Satanism.16 The symbol on that seal is actually a metaphor
for the oppressive hierarchy which reigns over the Masonic lodge, and by
extension, over much of U.S. government; and the "Eye" symbolizes Lucifer's
dominion over it.

Being a Mason (of whatever degree) is like going through your life with all that
spiritual garbage weighing down on you. It is like having a King Kong-sized
monkey on your back! While all levels of Masonry have their share of Witches;
the Palladium, the Illuminati, the Ancient rites and the Supreme Council are
especially likely to have them, in one form or another.

The Mason is "unequally yoked" together with all these unbelievers and Witches
in rebellion to the word of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and that alone is enough
to knock the spiritual stuffing out of any man, even supposedly "good, solid
Christians"!

You see, in an occult sense. Freemasonry is much like the fabled "pyramid
scheme." It is a hierarchy in which the highest levels leech off the lower levels.
Just as in the marketing schemes, the person at the top of the pyramid draws in
most of the revenues because of the efforts of hundreds or thousands of people
under him, so the same element works within the lodge, even as it does — to a
much smaller degree — in a Witchcraft coven!

First of all, it is a financial pyramid. We have already mentioned that a Mason
must spend hundreds of dollars, perhaps close to a thousand, to go through the
degrees. Additionally, they must pay dues every year to each and every body
they have joined. This could amount, depending on the level of involvement, to
several hundred dollars a year.

While some of that money goes into necessities, and some of it goes into charity,
some of it also ends up in places of which Lodge members have no knowledge.
Of course, our local leaders were obviously not getting rich, but there was a lot of
free-floating cash somewhere up in the ranks.

"PSYCHIC VAMPIRES" IN THE LEADERSHIP?

In the occult, we used to talk about psychic vampires — people who just seemed
to suck the life out of a person. Of course, black magicians excel in this. They

leave people feeling drained. What most people don't realize is that an
organization can function in much the same way.

The Lodge functions like a spiritual sponge in many ways. Think of all the
millions of man-hours Masons put into their lodge work: memorizing the degree
material, attendance at meetings, extracurricular lodge activities (dinners,
banquets, funerals, picnics). Those Masons who are Christians pour hours of
time and energy into the lodge, and it just laps it up and begs for more.

I know, I used to be heavily involved in lodge work. I was out of the house at
least two week nights! Then, because I was a lodge officer, I had to spend
additional hours working on memorizing the ritual work. I had to be there
before the lodge opened and after it closed. I had to attend all lodge functions
and funerals.

Think of the lodge meeting itself — it is opened in solemn fashion, with a ritual
that may take fifteen to twenty minutes. If there is an initiation, the meeting can
run to hours, sometimes three or four hours for third degree. All that energy is
going somewhere, friends, and it isn't to God!

I can only speak from Witchcraft experience, but quite often our leaders would
just suck the energy right out of us. They were accomplished psychic vampires,
whether they realized it or not. Someone, somewhere, is getting an awful lot of
energy out of these thousands of lodge meetings. Ultimately, of course, it is
Lucifer, who is delighted to receive it as worship!

This is energy not being expended in Godly church activities. These men could
be teaching Bible studies, running youth groups, visiting the sick or doing
neighborhood witnessing. But no, they are sitting in a lodge room watching
ancient and dusty mummery being performed while the light of the Holy Spirit
within them flickers out.

Over and over, we see vital Christians who join the lodge, don't see the trap, and
then gradually it sucks all the life out of their walk with Jesus. It banks their fires
of zeal and turns them, ultimately, into dead backsliders. Some stop going to
church. Now this may not happen to all Christian Masons, but if it hasn't, it is
only because of God's mercy. The Holy Spirit will not continue to bless a man
who continually sups at the devil's table. (1 Corinthians 10:21, Genesis 6:3)
Sooner or later, something will give. Sadly, it is often the church activity.

THE IMAGE OF JEALOUSY!

The Masonic temple is a temple of Witchcraft! There can be little doubt about
that. Veiled within its symbols are the deities and even the working tools of
Witchcraft! As has been shown, the square and compasses are representations of
the generative organs — the "sacred altar" of Witchcraft! The blazing star at the
center of the lodge is the Witch's pentagram, symbol of the god of Satanism, Set!
The Letter "G" stands for generativity, sexual potency.

The resemblances between Freemasonry and Witchcraft are manifold and
striking and should chill the bones of any Mason. If Freemasonry is so Godly,
how could it possibly be interchanged by both Witches and Satanists so freely?

Beyond that, the point needs to be made that virtually all of the above mentioned
resemblances are part of the ancient practices of pagan antiquity as well.

Witches 2,000 years ago were doing the same things that Masons are doing
today. Masonic writers boast of this (although they don't use the word "Witch,"
they talk about "mystery religions," but it is the same thing).

Let's face it, the Masonic tie tacks and rings that so many Masons wear proudly
to their churches on Sunday are sexual idols. The TRUE GOD OF THE Bible IS NOT
A SEX ORGAN! That may seem a ridiculously obvious statement to make, but the
Mason needs to be reminded of it. This is the very "image of jealousy, which
provoketh to jealousy" (Ezekiel 8:3).

The gods of all the pagan nations around Israel like Ba'al were all sexual idols!
This is precisely what God does not want in His church, and yet all these
Masons are flaunting both their idols and their membership.

It is a testimony to the graciousness and loving-kindness of Father God that these
churches are not flattened by the breath of His nostrils — that they are not
"vomited out" of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). However, both they and their
individual members may well be paying a horrible price for their continued
winking at the sin of Freemasonry in their camp!

Endnotes:

1 Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN. 1972.

2 For a complete examination of this religion from a Christian perspective, see
WICCA: SATAN'S LITTLE WHITE LIE, by the author. Chick Publications,
Chino, CA. 1990.

8 Contrary to popular belief, most male witches do not wish to be called
warlocks. The term actually is a derivation of an old English word, meaning
"traitor." Today, the word warlock is mostly used by male Satanist witches in
application to themselves. Few Wiccans would wish to use the term.

4 In Witchcraft, the "temple" is frequently not a building, but rather a sacred
"Magic Circle" laid down on the floor of a room with great ceremony. It is the
sacred space of the Wicca, and serves the same function as a temple does to the
Mason.

8 Taken from a private copy of the Book of Shadows in the author's possession.
Copies of this oath, however, can be found in Stewart Farrar's WHAT WITCHES
DO, THE GRIMOIRE OF LADY SHEBA, and June Johns' KING OF THE
WITCHES, as well as other writings.

6 Malcolm C. Duncan, DUNCAN'S RITUAL MONITOR, David McKay Co., Inc.,
New York, n.d., p.34-35.

7 Schnoebelen, MASONRY: BEYOND THE LIGHT, Chick, Chino, CA. 1991,
p.146, 155-160, 214-215.

8 See Albert Pike, MORALS AND DOGMA, p.839, 22, 744-45, etc.; Manly P. Hall,
THE LOST KEYS OF FREEMASONRY, p. 48.

9 Duncan, op. cit., p.129, and TENNESSEE CRAFTSMEN OR MASONIC
TEXTBOOK, Grand Lodge of Tennessee, 1983, p. 17.

10 R. S. Clymer, THE MYSTICISM OF MASONRY, 1900, p. 47; J.D. Buck,
SYMBOLISM OR MYSTIC MASONRY, 1925, p. 57.

11 Pike, p.539, and Henry C. Clausen, PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR THE
SCOTTISH RITE, Supreme Council, 33°, Washington, DC, 1981, pp. 75-77.

12 Schnoebelen, MASONRY, pp. 161-178.

13 ibid., p.179-190.

14 The author and his wife were members of a Co-Masonic Lodge. These are
more openly occult and are under the rite of L'Droit Humaine (Human Rights
Lodge). They admit men and women as equals. Co-Masonry is affiliated with the
Theosophical Society and today finds its headquarters in Larkspur, CO.

1 5 William Schnoebelen & James R. Spencer, WHITED SEPULCHERS, Triple J
Publications, Boise, ID, 1990, p.20

16 ibid., p. 44-50, citing material found in master Satanist Anton LaVey's
newsletter, "The Cloven Hoof", vol. VIII, #6.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Masonic Roots:

Christ, Solomon, or Baal?

Keith Harris
P.O. BOX 210
Marion, KY 42064

You have read in other chapters that Freemasonry is a non-sectarian Order
embracing principles of all religions. Such boasts of universality are a most
predominant portion of Masonic belief. Even with varied religious principles, the
Order must have a beginning or "roots" from which it draws.

This chapter is devoted to the "roots" of Freemasonry. Not those of flesh and
blood lineage, but the source from which its philosophy is drawn, in particular,
the "Third Degree Ritual" and its true reverence.

As to the origin of the Craft, Masons themselves disagree. This lack of unity may
stem from personal resentment of evidence or a variety of other reasons. Thus,
only those sources deemed reliable must again be our reference. *Also see
"Spurious Freemasonry" — appendix.

Found in the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY (Mackey-McClenachan) under
the heading "Christianization of Freemasonry" are the first traces of Masonic

reverence:

"The principles of Freemasonry preceded the advent of Christianity. Its
symbols and its legends are derived from the Solomonic Temple and from
the people anterior to that. Its religion comes from the ancient priesthood;
its faith was that primitive one of Noah and his immediate descendants."

We see then that the symbols and legends derive from the Solomonic Temple.
This aspect refers us to the legend of the Third Degree Ritual that revolves
around King Solomon and Hiram, the widows son.

We see also that these symbols and legends derive from peoples anterior or prior
to the Solomonic period. This gives reference to Egypt and their god Osiris, of
which Masonic authorities state and one to which we shall later refer.
Freemasonry's faith or beliefs are said to have come from Noah and his
immediate descendants. We shall examine all the afore mentioned aspects in
chronological order beginning with Noah.

Roots

After the flood spoken of in Genesis, we find that only eight persons survived
that great and awful event. Eight alone to replenish the human race, Noah and
his wife, their three sons and their wives. From these came the nations of men.

"These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their
nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood."
(Genesis 10:32)

It is evident that all philosophical beliefs and principles also sprang from, or
through these persons. In Genesis, Chapter Ten, we find listed the descendants
Noah's three sons, Japheth, Ham, and Shem.

In Genesis 11:10-27 we have record of lineage from Shem to Abram (Abraham).
Matthew, Chapter One and Luke, Chapter Three of the New Testament
complete the lineage through Abraham to Christ Jesus, revealing the Shemites or
Semitic lineage (that of flesh and blood) as that one designated by God as His
“chosen people" through which Jesus would later come. Hence the roots and
instructional reference of the Christian faith.

As Christianity permeates every culture and race, flesh and blood lineage is
impertinent because Christ accepts whosoever to become a partaker of his
righteousness. By this spiritual embodiment — known as the "Church" (Born
Again Believers) — we become of the spiritual house of Abraham (Galations 3:26-
29).

It would be interesting were Freemasonry to have it's philosophical roots
through the principles of the Shemite lineage. However, when compared to
Christianity, their origin is different and their histories are dissimilar.

The only substantial evidence given of Noah in Masonry appears in the term
"Noahchida" derived from the "legend of the Craft" which reflects that Noah
was "the father and founder of the Masonic system of theology" Masonic
reference to Noah however, is heavily fantasized and purely symbolic in nature,
as the following demonstrates:

"Such are the Noachic traditions of Masonry, which, though if considered
as materials of history, would be worth but little, yet have furnished
valuable sources of symbolism, and in that way are full of wise
instruction." (E ncyclopedia OF Freemasonry, Noahchida: alphabetically
listed).

Found in the same Encyclopedia, under the same heading:

"After the death of Noah, his sons removed from the region of Mount
Ararat, where, until then, they had resided, and "traveling from the East,
found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there." Here they
commenced the building of a lofty tower." (ibid.)

In the Biblical account, Shinar is the name of the land in which were located the
cities of Babylon, Erech, Accad, and the root "balal" ("to confound" — Hebrew),
and has reference to the confusion of languages at this lofty tower mentioned
above. (Genesis 11:9).

Significance?:

Masonic writings give little insight to the Shemites or Japhethites, but dwell
heavily on a descendant of Ham as one of the founders of Masonry — Nimrod. In
the

Encyclopedia of Freemasonry (Mackey-McClenachan), under the heading
"Nimrod," we find:

"The legend of the Craft in the Old Constitutions refers to Nimrod as one
of the founders of Masonry. Thus in the York MS., No. 1, we read: "At ye
making of ye toure of Babell there was a Masonrie first much esteemed of,
and the King of Babilon yt called Nimrod was a Mason himself and loved
well Masons"."

Nimrod was the most outstanding leader in the period between the flood and
Abraham, a very enterprising man. His wide-spread popularity is noted in the
cities named in connection to him, Birs Nimrud, Tell Nimrud near Bagdad; the
Mound of Nimrud (ancient Calah). Being a "mighty hunter" not only revealed
his military might, but also his protectiveness in a time when wild animals were
a continual menace. He was also the first to built fenced or fortified cities. (From
Halley's Bible Handbook)

Not only did Nimrod "love well Masons," they too esteem him of great
personage for his work in Masonry. Many Masons who profess Christianity refer
to Genesis 10:9 to substantiate his greatness and virtue in the phrase "mighty
hunter before the Lord." However, a minute study of this thought and phrase
will reveal his virtue to be quite the opposite than what is commonly accepted.

The word "mighty" (gibbowr, Hebrew) means — "warrior, tyrant". A tyrant is
one who exercises power in a harsh, cruel manner. Nimrod is also known in
history as a hunter of men. The latter part of the phrase "before the Lord" stems
around the word "before" which comes from the Hebrew word "paniym"
meaning — "the face (as the part that turns)". This reflects to us that Nimrod was
a tyrant who turned his face from the Lord. This is why the Hebrew people
referred to him as "the rebel" or "rebellious one".

Many cities and nations had for their chief god their founder; such was the case
with Nimrod. To make this "god" more real and honorable, images were made
to represent him; later the images themselves came to be worshipped. This was
also true of certain constellations being attributed to him after his death. Thus,
the chief god of Babylon, and Ninevah, Nimrod, had images referring to him.
These images glorified his attributes as protector, leader, god of war, knowledge,
etc.

It was during the building of the tower of Babel, also attributed to Nimrod, that
god confused the languages of the people and the building was stopped. The
bible states that the whole world was of one speech (language) prior to this event
(Genesis 11). At the "confusion of languages" people could no longer speak the
name of their god. Thus, Nimrod, their chief god, was now known by multiple
names due to multiple languages.

As Nimrod had so many things attributed to him, it was only reasonable for
peoples, now in segregation, to adopt the portion of belief best interpreted by
each group. Thus, diverse religious attributes and beliefs, yet peoples remaining
reverent to their god. We find such names for this revered god (Nimrod) in
scripture as Chemosh, Molock, Merodach, Remphan, Tamuz, and Baal, to
mention only a few of the some thirty-eight Biblical titles plus numerous
representatives of these "gods". Under the heading of "Nimrod" found in
Halley's Bible Handbook, pg. 82:

"Babylonia was long known as the "Land of Nimrod". He was afterward

deified, his name being identical with "Merodach"."

Under the heading of "Merodach", in Tyndales New Bible Dictionary we find:

"Merodach. The Heb. form of the Babylonian divine name Marduk. . . .
Marduk was the primary deity of Babylon and was later called by his
epithet Bel (Ba'al), so that his defeat was synonymous with that of his
people (Jer. 50:2) as was that of the earlier Canaanite Ba'al."

Baal worship was a form of the Old Sun Worship, for Baal (Nimrod as we have
seen) was represented by the Sun. Many names throughout Biblical and classical
history appear and refer to Nimrod. These formed what is referred to as the
Ancient Mysteries.

What of Egypt?

Albert Pike, in his book MORALS & DOGMA, pg. 624 ,refers to the Ancient
Mysteries and Freemasonry as being identical, with exceptions found only in that
of progressive alterations. As all ancient mysteries independently examined
would be a timely and spacious task, it is only necessary to expound on the
mystery religion which Masonry itself deems true. Thus:

"Egypt has always been considered as the birthplace of the mysteries. It
was there that the ceremonies of initiation were first established. It was
there that truth was first veiled in allegory, and the dogmas of religion
were first imparted under symbolic forms." (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
FREEMASONRY, heading "Egyptian Mysteries"):

We have found that Masonic symbols and legends derive from peoples anterior
to the Solomonic Temple (beginning of chapter). Is Egypt then a major source of
such? Yes.

"To Egypt, therefore. Masons have always looked with peculiar interest as
the cradle of that mysterious science of symbolism whose peculiar modes
of teaching they alone, of all modern institutions, have preserved to the
present day." (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY — "Egyptian Mysteries")

We have found also that the Masonic "religion" comes from the ancient
priesthood (beginning of chapter). One might think this refers to the Levitical
Priesthood of the Bible, however, the priesthood of Egypt is their reference:

"The priesthood of Egypt constituted a sacred caste, in whom the
sacredotal functions were hereditary." (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
Freemasonry — "Egyptian Mysteries")

The Connection:

Although varied countries had many gods, only certain gods (or exalted
positions) were represented by the sun and Moon. Found in Albert Pike's Morals
& Dogma pg. 406:

"We know that the Egyptians worshipped the Sun, under the name of Osiris."

Mr. Pike connects Baal Worship and Osiris as identical:

"The Goths had three festivals; the most magnificent do so of which
commenced at the winter solstice, and was celebrated in honor of Thor,
the Prince of the Power of the Air".

"Thor was the Sun, the Egyptian Osiris and Kneph, the Phoenician Bel or
Baal. The initiations were had in huge intricate caverns, terminating, as all
the Mithriac caverns did, in a spacious vault, where the candidate was
brought to light." (note: "brought to light") (emphasis added) (Morals &
Dogma, page 368). .

The Legend of Osiris, the Egyptian god, is significant to Masonry due to the
ritual of the "Third Degree" as well as other teachings which are deep-rooted in
Egyptian legend. This legend and the legend of Eliram Abiff, a ritual familiar to
all Third Degree Masons, have similarities which cannot be overlooked when
compared:

Osiris Legend

Osiris was the chief god of Egypt, the son and husband of Isis. Osiris is said to
have been killed by his jealous brother Typhon by trickery. Osiris was nailed in a
chest and cast into the Nile. Later, his dead body was cast up at Byblos in
Phoenicia and left at the foot of a Tamarind tree. Isis retrieved his body only to
lose it again to the jealous brother who then cut him into fourteen pieces that he
scattered around the kingdom. Isis again went in search of Osiris and found all
the body parts except the phallus that had been eaten by a crab in the Nile. Isis
then made a Phallus that was to be sacred (origin of the Obelisk).

She embalmed him thus claiming restoration and gave rise to the concept that
the immortality of the soul was dependent on the preservation of the body.

Osiris was afterward known as the Lord of the Underworld. He was also god of
the Sun and god of fertility, worshipped in orgiastic sex rituals.

Third Degree Masonic Ritual

As Masonry has preserved the Egyptian science of symbolism, it is apparent that
an observation or ritual exists projecting from Egypt. Thus, the ritual of the Third
Degree or Master Mason Degree. This ritual is centered on the supposition of
King Solomon and Hiram.

As the story goes, Hiram of Tyre and a widow's son, was working on Solomon's
Temple when approached by three ruffians desiring the Master's Word. The time
was high twelve and all other workers were out for refreshment. As Hiram
refused on three occasions or confrontations to give the word, he was killed after
a blow to the forehead with a setting maul by the third ruffian. Hiram was then
buried in the temple until low twelve, or midnight, at which time the ruffians
return to take his body (westerly) to again bury him. King Solomon, the
following day, found him missing and the craft in confusion, required the cause.

The workmen had already searched for Hiram but without success, thus. King
Solomon again sent out a search. After several days of searching and upon
return, the party stopped to rest and refresh themselves. By accident they
discover the newly made grave of Hiram beneath an acacia tree. At this time they
hear lamenting at a nearby cleft, the self-impending penalties (same as oath

penalties) of Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum, the ruffians. Thus the search was over
and the murderers caught.

The candidate for Third Degree Initiation, after preliminary ritual, is found lying
on the floor representing the death of Hiram. The Junior Warden takes hold of
the candidates right hand and attempts to "raise" him from death but without
success. His hand slips from the candidate's hand symbolizing the slipping off of
the skin and an insufficient grip.

The Senior Warden then makes an attempt but fails, do symbolically to the flesh
cleaving from the bone. Again an insufficient grip.

The Worshipful Master, symbolizing King Solomon, successfully raises the
candidate using the "Strong Grip" or "Lion's Paw Grip". The candidate is thus
raised on the five points of fellowship — foot-to-foot, knee-to-knee, breast-to-
breast, hand to back, cheek to cheek. In this position the Master gives the Grand
Masonic Word — "Mah-Hah-Bone".

This raising of the candidate is to symbolize the resurrection, which is the object
of the degree, (note: "Mah-Hah-Bone" — Hebrew rendition — "What! the
builder?")

This ritual, has of course, a Masonic / Christian interpretation, which according to
Albert Pike goes as follows:

"The murder of Hiram, his burial, and his being raised again by the
Master, are symbols, both of the Redeemer; and of the death and burial in
sins of the natural man, and his being raised again to a new life, or born
again, by the direct action of the Redeemer;" (MORALS & DOGMA pg. 640)

We must note that the above ritual is only symbolic as is stated here, that is, not
the actual thing. We must remember also that the Blue Degrees (First Three) are
intentionally misled by false interpretation. Thus, this ritual does not actually
refer to Hiram, especially when compared to the Biblical account.

Masonry claims that Hiram died "during the work", yet the Bible tells us that
Hiram (Huram) "finished the work" and mentions nothing of his death and
miraculous recovery at the hand of Solomon. We also find that this was God's
house, not Solomon's:

"And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the
house of God. " .(.II Chronicles 4:11)

As the legends of Osiris and Hiram are compared we see both died at the hand of
a brother. They were twice searched for. Both were found at the foot of a tree.
Both had a loss: Osiris has a missing body part; The Master's Word is lost.

The following information tells us that the Third Degree Ritual is not actually
that of Hiram nor Christ, but the epic of Osiris. Thus, in the Third Degree of
Masonry the initiate is actually entering into the death, burial, and resurrection
of Osiris. Speaking of the Degree of "Knight of the Brazen Serpent; Pike
elaborates for us:

"While it teaches the necessity of reformation as well as repentance, as a
means of obtaining mercy and forgiveness, it is also devoted to an
explanation of the symbols of Masonry; and especially to those which are
connected with that ancient and universal legend, of which that of Khir-
Om Abi is but a variation; that legend which, representing a murder or a
death, and a restoration to life, by a drama which figure Osiris, Isis and
Horus, . . . and many another representative of active and passive powers
of Nature, taught the Initiates in the Mysteries that the rule of Evil and
Darkness is but temporary, and that of Light and Good will be eternal."
(note: "Khir-Om Abi" — "Hiram Abiff") (MORALS AND DOGMA, pg. 435)

The "raised" candidate is stated as being raised into a philosophy of
regeneration, or the new birth of all things. In effect, he is becoming born again
through the power of Masonry.

This reverence, as that of Egypt, reveals the worship or exaltation of the things of
nature. Albert Pike, on pages 476 & 477 of MORALS AND DOGMA, says this of
nature and Osiris: "Everything good in Nature comes from Osiris". This typifies
not only life out of death, but the regeneration of the things of nature or
"generative power" (sexual reproductive power).

In addition, "Osiris and Isis were the sun and Moon, is attested by many ancient
writers" (MORALS AND DOGMA, page 476), which, as we have seen is reference to
Baal or Nimrod, one of the founders of Masonry. Thus Osiris, Nimrod, Baal,
Merodach, etc. are synonymous, that is, one and the same.

This Masonic reverence to the Sun is familiar to all Masons, even if unknowingly,
in the symbol of the All-Seeing Eye:

"The Sun was termed by the Greeks the Eye of Jupiter, and the Eye of the World;
and his is the All-Seeing Eye in our Lodges." (note: "his" — Osiris, ) ( MORALS
AND DOGMA, pgs. 476, 477)

Speaking of those of Thebes, an ancient city in Upper Egypt, Pike mentions:

"Soon they personified the sun, and worshipped him under the name of
Osiris, and transmuted the legend of his descent among the Winter Signs,
into a fable of his death, his descent into the infernal regions, and his
resurrection."

It is noteworthy to mention, that the Officers at the opening of lodge
ceremonies — Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Wardens — are seated in
stations in the East, South, and West. In religious symbolism of Freemasonry,
they represent the Sun at "his" rising, "his" meridian, and "his" setting ("his" —
their words).

Many Masons today are duped into the same worship of Baal as of old. The All-
Seeing Eye they are told, represents God, as does the letter "G". The name "God"
however, is mistaken in quite the same way as the name "Baal" in the Old
Testament. The name "Baal" carried the meaning — "lore, possessor" — that, by
name, was very easily mistaken for the God of Abraham who is also called

"Lord". The manner in which each was worshipped however, was quite different
and obvious when compared. Such is the Masonic / Christian Conflict!

With all the different names for Nimrod, yet many similarities in cultural
attributes, philosophers, in later years began to congregate those things common
in belief to again philosophically regain the once admired religion (possibly
without being aware of such). It was only natural for elite philosophers to
recognize the most elaborate and dogmatic of these peoples from which to draw
their assumptions. Egypt was that main source, especially for Freemasonry, for
Freemasonry is a mystical. Speculative search.

"The history of Masonry is the history of Philosophy." (MORALS AND
DOGMA, pg. 540)

The roots of Freemasonry lie in Egyptian Legend with reverence to Osiris or Baal
(Nimrod), thus becoming Baal Worship. Not Baal worship fictitiously stated, but
actual Baal Worship through ritual and appellation.

Its faith is indeed that primitive one of Noah and his immediate descendants,
particularly Nimrod, who was deified under the name Merodach, Baal, Osiris,
etc. The Solomonic Legend was conjured in order for Christians to appear
adaptable, for Solomon never raised anyone from death to life. The only
possibility of this was through symbolism when Solomon did "evil in the sight of
the Lord":

"Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination ofMoab, in
the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of

Ammon. And like wise did he for all his strange wives , which burnt incense and
sacrificed unto their gods. " (I Kings 11:7-8)

The tribes of Israel were often seduced into the worship of Nimrod (Baal, Osiris),
not only because of the confusing name "Baal", but due largely to their Egyptian
bondage. As a nation, Israel is said to have had its birth at the Exodus from
Egypt. During the Egyptian bondage they multiplied in number under the
influence of Egyptian custom and worship.

After the Exodus from Egypt, the gaiety and licentious character of the Egyptian
god was soon revealed at the absence of their leader Moses. Moses had gone up
Mt. Sinai where he received the Ten Commandments from the Lord. Upon his
return he found the Israelites worshipping an Egyptian Image, a symbol of Osiris
and generative power, a golden calf.

In Smith's Bible Dictionary under the heading "Calf":

"Image for worship made at Sinai in imitation of the Apis of Egypt, from the
jewelry borrowed of the Egyptians (Ex. xxxii. 2). Not of solid gold, but of wood,
gilded and plated with gold (as the emblem of Osiris- Apis — was made).

The Israelites were to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not the
"gods" of surrounding peoples. They were warned of such:

"Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works:
but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images."
(Exodus 12:12)

Moses undoubtedly recognized the symbol — for he was reared by Pharaoh's
daughter and "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). In an
outburst of anger Moses broke the tables of stone containing the Ten
Commandments. This Israelite Idolatry brought about the death of around three
thousand people. In addition, "the Lord plagued the people, because they made the
calf, which Aaron made. " (Exodus 32).

The calf was always a bull, with horns, representing sexual strength, or
generative power. Paganism is always sexual in its outworkings and ultimately.
Phallus worship.

Time and again Israel was seduced into such worship (Deuteronomy 13:6, 7).
Many representatives, in one fashion or another, were those of the false god Baal
(Nimrod, Osiris). Canaanite gods, Assyrian gods, the gods of the Ammorites and
Moabites, to mention only a few strange gods were worshipped.

In Unger's Bible Dictionary, speaking of "Idolatry" among the Ten Tribes of
Israel, we find:

"Jeroboam, fresh from his recollections of the Apis worship of Egypt,
erected golden calves at Beth-el and Dan, and by this crafty state policy
severed effectively the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (I Kings 12:26-33)."
note: "Apis", the Bull, was also a symbol of the strength of Nimrod, end of
note."

Christian Concern

With all the fallacies throughout our land and country, there is none that can
effectively topple Christianity. Only when such outside influence is allowed to
filter into Christian congregations through church membership, commissions,
and leadership positions, is the Church world affected. Freemasonry is not an
outside influence. It is an inside influence!

As Jeroboam effectively severed Judah and Israel, Freemasonry is slowly
severing Christian witness. The Holy Spirit has vacated so many of our
congregations and for just cause. Baal Worship is still at large! Satan is once
again using the oldest strategy in the world — Conquer the enemy from within to
best conquer him from without. Joshua says:

"Nozv therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in
Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord,
choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land ye dwell : hut as for me and my house, we zvill serve the Lord. "
(Joshua 24:14-15).

But, there is an escape, an out for the Christian willing to take a Godly stand
against the darkness. I pray each reader will take that Godly stand today!

"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever
doth make manifest is light." (Ephesians 5:13)

CHAPTER TWELVE

FREEMASONRY

AND

THE 20TH CENTURY OCCULT REVIVAL

David Carrico

Followers of Jesus Christ Ministries
P. O. Box 4174
Evansville, IN 47724-4174

Freemasonry is an occult secret society and all Freemasons have aligned
themselves with the occult. This is the obvious conclusion that people
with just a casual knowledge of the lodge are forced to realize. The word
occult means deliberately kept hidden: not revealed to others. (1) How can
Freemasonry avoid being classified as occult when the Mason is forbidden
by oath not to reveal what goes on behind the closed doors of the lodge
even to his wife or his fellow church members. All Freemasons have
definitely participated in occult activities. This is an opinion that the
Masonic book. The Royal Arch: Its Hidden Meaning, published by the
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company heartily agrees with.

Many Freemasons shudder at the word occult that comes from the Latin,
meaning to cover, to conceal from public scrutiny and the profane. But
anyone studying Freemasonry cannot avoid classifying Freemasonry
among occult teachings. (2)

We will be studying some of the powerful people and organizations that
have played a part in the modern occult revival and we will find as we
study their teachings that they all have one common denominator:
Freemasonry.

Freemasonry: The Devil's Playground

Anton LaVey, the High Priest of the Church of Satan states:

"...Masonic orders have contained the most influential men in many
governments, and virtually every occult order has many Masonic
roots. (3)

Freemasonry is not just an occult secret society. Freemasonry has served
for over two hundred years as a fertile recruiting ground for other occult
orders. Men who have come together to practice Masonry have many
times down through the years formed other organizations to plunge even
deeper into the occult.

The Illuminati

According to our research, the first group that used the Masonic lodge for
their evil designs was the infamous Bavarian Illuminati. This secret society
was officially formed by Adam Weishaupt, professor of Canon Law at
Ingolstadt University, on May 1, 1776. As the evil plans of the Illuminati
began to leak out, brave men took a stand and raised their voices in
protest.

One such man was John Robinson, a professor of Natural Philosophy at
Edinburgh University, and General Secretary of the Royal Society of
Edinburgh. In his book, PROOFS OF A CONSPIRACY, which was originally
published in 1798, Robinson documented how Masonry served as the
nursery school for the Illuminati. It was then discovered that this group
and several associated Lodges were the preparation-school for another
Order of Masons, who called themselves THE ILLUMINATED, and that
the express aim of this Order was to abolish Christianity and overturn all
civil government. (4)

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

The leaders of the New Age Movement have also found a friend in the
friendly confines of the Masonic lodges. In the last two centuries
Freemasonry and the New Age Movement have been intricately
entwined. The Scottish Rite Journal of the Southern Jurisdiction was
previously called The New Age Magazine between 1903-1990. Freemason
Lynn F. Perkins wrote a book in 1972 titled, NEW AGE YOUTH AND
Masonry: What Every High School and College Graduate Should
Know About Masonry.

This book was dedicated to those of oncoming generations of youth who
would build and operate the New Order of the Ages. (5) He also wrote
another book called MASONRY IN The NEW AGE. Both of these books are
listed for sale in the 1991 Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co., Inc.
catalog. The woman heralded as the Mother' of the modern New Age

Movement is Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, 1831-1891. Blavatsky was born
in Russia and was known for her violent temper and her ability to swear
in several languages. This behavior was no doubt intensified as a result of
her drug addiction to Hashish. She traveled all over the world lecturing
and practicing the occult but her greatest impact by far was through her
writings.

Her most famous book. The SECRET DOCTRINE, is one of the foundational
occult works of all time. Her preeminently wicked book made no
distinction between the serpent and the God of the Bible and taught that
Satan was the one that made man into a god:

"Once that the key to Genesis is in our hands, the scientific and
symbolical Kabalah unveils the secret. The Great Serpent of the
garden of Eden and the Lord God are identical, . . .(6)

"Thus Satan, once he ceases to be viewed in the superstitious,
dogmatic, unphilosophical spirit of the Churches, grows into the
grandiose image of one who makes of a terrestrial, a divine Man;

(7)

The Theosophical Society

Blavatsky's 'SECRET DOCTRINE' and the organization she helped to found,
the Theosophical Society, has certainly had an impact on our culture.
'SECRET Doctrine' was the first book that Sirhan Sirhan requested after he
was jailed for the murder of Robert Kennedy. Adolph Hitler kept a copy

of THE SECRET Doctrine at his beside and was profoundly influenced by
it. Adolf Hitler was a disciple of Madame Blavatsky, and was initiated into
the meaning of her secret doctrines.

He was tutored by men who were formerly theosophists themselves, and
had theosophists at his side until the very end of the war. (8) This favorite
book of Adolph Hitler's was also a favorite of 'Freemasonry's greatest
Philosopher,' 33rd degree Mason Manly P. Hall. Hall spoke with
unrestrained praise for Blavatsky's writings:

"The Secret Doctrine and Isis Unveiled are Madame Blavatsky's
gifts to humanity, and to those whose vision can pierce the
menacing clouds of imminent disaster it is no exaggeration to
affirm that these writings are the most vital literary contribution to
the modern world. No more can they be compared with other
books than can the light of the sun be compared with the lamp of
the glowworm. The Secret Doctrine assumes the dignity of a
scripture, . . .(9)

Blavatsky's organization. The Theosophical Society, was founded in 1875.
Freemason, Henry Steel Olcott was the president, with Freemason, George
H. Felt as vice president, and high-ranking American Mason, Charles
Sothern as a member. Also among the early members was the most
powerful American Mason of all time, Albert Pike, Grand Commander of
the Scottish Rite. Madame Blavatsky was such a favorite of Freemasons
that she was issued a Masonic certificate in the Ancient and Primitive Rite
of Masonry in 1877.

Annie Besant and The Theosophical Society

In 1907, Annie Besant became the head of the Theosophical Society. Besant
continued Blavatsky's love for Masonry by becoming a leader and earning
the 33rd degree in Co-Masonry, an order with rites that admitted women
as well as men.

On February 19, 1922, an alliance between Mrs. Besant's Co-masonry and
the Grand Orient of France was celebrated at the Grand Temple of the
DroiteHumain in Paris. (10)

C.W. Leadbeater and The Theosophical Society

During the time Annie Besant was head of the Theosophical Society she
labored to promote a young man from India, Jiddu Krishnamurti, as the
Messiah. Her right hand man in this endeavor was 33rd degree Mason,
C.W. Leadbeater. This Freemason had a passionate desire for the deeper
workings of the occult. Some sources claim Leadbeater was a pedophile
homosexual. (11)

When the dark side of Freemasonry begins to be revealed and discussed,
the question invariably arises: Does participation in Masonic rituals lead
to demon invasion and control? C.W. Leadbeater answers that question
for us most decisively from an insider's point of view. Leadbeater does
more than give an affirmative answer to our question. He proceeds to

describe the demon spirits he received in the various degrees of
Freemasonry:

"The 30th degree brings its Angel also, of appropriate character - a
great blue Deva of the First Ray, who lends his strength to the
Knight K.FL, somewhat as the crimson Angel assists the Ex. and
pert. Bro. of the Rose-Croix. The 33rd degree gives two such
splendid fellow-workers - spirits of gigantic size as compared to
humanity, and radiantly white in colour. (12)

"The 33rd degree links the Sovereign Grand Inspector General with
the Spiritual King of the World Flimself, That Mightiest of Adepts
who stands at the head of the Great White Lodge, in whose strong
hands lie the destinies of earth . . .(13)

"Yet when one of these bright Spirits is attached to us by a Masonic
ceremony we must not think of him either as a director or as an
attendant, but simply as a co-worker and a brother.(14)

Alice A. and Foster Bailey

Alice A. Bailey was the reigning 'queen' of The New Age movement until
her death in the 1970's. She wrote over twenty books with the help of her
spirit guide, the Tibetan master Dwjhal Khul. Mrs. Bailey spoke plainly
and truthfully about the fact that the Masonic lodge was the training
school for the leaders of the occult world. Alice A. Bailey said of
Freemasonry:

"It is a far more occult organization than can be realized, and is
intended to be the training school for the coming advanced
occultists. (15)

Together with her husband, 32nd degree Mason Foster Bailey, Alice Bailey
labored to bring in the reign of the New Age Christ. Foster states:

"The most important re-orientation in the Hierarchy is the united
focus on preparation for the reappearance of the Christ among
men. (16)

"The Christ is a living man today. He is a great world executive and
is actively working to help humanity to grow up spiritually, but not
seeking or wanting to control us. (17)

"The Christ and the hierarchy are focused on new age actions and
when externalized will use new age techniques. (18)

Foster Bailey ridiculed the Christ of the Bible and heralded the false
gospel of the New Age Christ:

"The Christian doctrine that he comes as a Christian to save us from
hell and for some distant judgment date is a hangover from
humanity's childhood days. He does not come to save us but to
help us save ourselves, . . .(19)

Foster Bailey wrote articles for Masonic magazines and lectured at
Masonic lodge halls. His book. The SPIRIT OF MASONRY, is still sold in the
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co. Catalog. It is sobering to read
in his book how this powerful New Age leader spoke of Masonry as the
universal religion.

"Is it not possible from a contemplation of this side of Masonic
teaching that it may provide all that is necessary for the
formulation of a universal religion? May it not be true, as has been
said, that if all religions and Scriptures were blotted out and only
Masonry were left in the world we could still recover the great plan
of salvation? Most earnestly should all true Masons consider this
point. . . .

"A revitalized Masonry, made up of Masons true to their
obligations and realising the Mystic Tie that binds them all together
in one true brotherhood, would also provide a platform so
universal that it would meet the need of thinkers of all kinds and of
every school of thought. It would thus not only meet a religious
need by providing a universal religion, but would also satisfy the
mental need felt by all broad-minded thinkers at this time. (20)

Aleister Crowley: Father of Modem Satanism

The most disturbing example of someone being recruited out of
Freemasonry into more bizarre occult orders is that of 33rd degree Mason,
Aleister Crowley. During his lifetime, Crowley was proclaimed by the

press as the most wicked man alive. Crowley's perverted life left a string
of casualties among those who were foolish enough to get close to this evil
man. Crowley's first wife. Rose entered an insane asylum in 1911; his
second wife, Maria entered an asylum in 1931, two years after her
marriage to Crowley.

In a locked room with only Crowley and his son present, Crowley
performed a ritual in which his son died. . . . On a London street in 1934, a
nineteen-year-old girl rushed up to him and declared that she wanted to
have his baby. Crowley took her to bed. She, too, later entered an asylum.
(21)

Just a brief autobiographic sketch of Crowley's life is like an evening swim
in a sewer. Crowley called himself the 'Beast 666' and Leila Waddell, his
mistress, displayed the mark of the beast that was tattooed between her
breasts. If there ever was a man that was more wicked than Crowley, it
would be hard to imagine. Crowley was a homosexual and a drug addict
that opposed Christianity with a hatred that was frightening. He said:

"To me, every dirty act was simply a sacrament of sin, a
passionately religious protest against Christianity, which was for
me the symbol of all vileness, meanness, treachery, falsehood and
oppression. (22)

O.T.O.: Ordo Templi Orientis and Freemason, Theodor Reuss

One of the most alarming things about Crowley's life was the way that he
went from Freemasonry into the cult of the O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis).
Crowley tells in his own words how Freemason Theodor Reuss recruited
him into the O.T.O. :

"Although I was admitted to the thirty-third and last degree of
Freemasonry so long ago as 1900, it was not until the summer of
1912 that my suspicion was confirmed. I speak of my belief that
behind the frivolities and convivialities of our greatest institution
lay in truth a secret ineffable and miraculous, potent to control the
forces of Nature, and not only to make men brethren, but to make
them divine. But at the time I speak of a man came to me, a man of
those mysterious masters of esoteric Freemasonry who are alike its
Eyes and its Brains, and who exist in its midst unknown, often,
even to its acknowledged chiefs . . . This man had been watching
my occult career for some years, and deemed me now worthy to
partake in the Greater Mysteries. (23)

This certainly shows that members of other occult orders can work within
Freemasonry often times without the knowledge of the actual leaders of
the lodge. The O.T.O. was founded in 1895 by the Austrian Freemason,
Karl Kellner. Freemason, Theodor Reuss became its leader after Kellner's
death. Reuss started a magazine called The Oriflame in 1902 with the help
of Freemason ,Franz Flartman. A 1912 jubilee edition of the magazine
revealed information about what the O.T.O. activities really were.

"Our order possesses the KEY which opens up all Masonic and
Hermetic secrets, namely, the teaching of sexual magic, and this
teaching explains, without exception, all the secrets of Nature, all
the symbolism of Freemasonry and all systems of religion. (24)

Aleister Crowley and The O.T.O.

In 1912, while holding the rank of 33rd degree Mason, Aleister Crowley
became the head of the British O.T.O. The teachings and the practices of
the O.T.O. were amazingly disgusting. A very brief description of their
degrees is as follows:

"Today's literature about sex magic relies heavily on practices
which were already common in the O.T.O. or in its later
development b y Aleister Crowley . . . The division is as follows:
VIII degree O.T.O. = autoerotic practice IX degree O.T.O. =
heteroerotic practice XI degree O.T.O. = homoerotic practice This is
the traditional sex-magic practice as performed under Crowley. 25
Thirty-third degree Aleister Crowley proudly called his cult of the
O.T.O. 'true freemasonry.' I claim for my system that it satisfies all
possible requirements of true freemasonry. It offers a rational basis
for universal brotherhood and for universal religion. (26)

How close is the connection between Freemasonry and the O.T.O.?
Masonic Historian Francis King reveals a closer connection than most
Freemasons would ever dare to admit.

"For the O.T.O. not only had, as we shall see, connections with
spurious and clandestine Masonic groups but functioned as a
recruiting office for one of these for in the 'Classification of
Members by Degrees' appended to Ruess's document is clearly
stated that 'candidates are made Freemasons by the Directing
Members (Fratres Superiores) of the O.T.O. (27)

The fact that Crowley was the head of the O.T.O. while holding the rank
of 33rd degree Mason should forever explode the myth that Freemasonry
is a Christian organization. Crowley spoke openly and candidly about his
Masonic honors.

"This view was confirmed when The Arcane Schools of John Yarker
came to me for review. I wrote to the author, who recognized my
title to the 33rd degree and conferred on me the grades of 95 degree
Memphis and the 90 degree Mizraim. It seemed as if I had some
how turned a tap. From this time on I lived in a perfect shower of
diplomas, from Bucharest to Salt Lake City. I possess more exalted
titles than I have ever been able to count. I am supposed to know
more secret signs, tokens, passwords, grandwords, grips, and so
on, than I could actually learn in a dozen lives. An elephant would
break down under the insignia I am entitled to wear. (28)

In Aleister Crowley's book. The CONFESSIONS OF ALEISTER CROWLEY, he
spoke with great admiration about the Royal Arch degree.

"I supposed myself to have reached the summit of success when I
restored the Secret Word of the Royal Arch. In this case, tradition
had preserved the Word almost intact. (29)

It is perfectly understandable that this hater of Christianity would love the
Royal Arch degree of Freemasonry. In this degree. Freemasons blaspheme
the God of the Bible by uniting God's name with pagan gods. The secret
word of the Royal Arch that Crowley is referring to is :Jah-Bul-On. The Jah
represents Jehovah, Bui represents the pagan god Ba'al, and On represents
the Egyptian sun god. It is no wonder Crowley's Satanic heart jumped for
joy when he was able to blaspheme the God of the Bible by uniting the
true God with the pagan god, Baal to whom human children were
sacrificed.

"they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire
for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it
come into My mind" (Jeremiah 19:5 NKJV)

The meaning of the secret word in the Royal Arch degree is confirmed by
an excellent authority: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY, by Albert G.
Mackey. Baal signifies Lord or Master and occurs several times in the
Bible as a part of the names of various gods. Alone, the word applies to
the sun-god, the supreme male deity of the Syro-Phoenician nations. For
an account of his worship read First Kings xviii. With Jah and On, it has
been introduced into the Royal Arch system as a representative of the
Tetragrammation. . . .(30)

The O.T.O. describes itself as an organization that is dedicated to follow
the doctrine of Crowley. THE ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS (O.T.O.) is an
Initiatic Body composed of men and women who have accepted the
principles of The BOOK OF the Law, which was transmitted through
Aleister Crowley (1875-1947). . . .

"The Book is conceived to be a perfect transmission of the divine,
freed from any defects of human interference. As such, it is a
luminous vehicle of Truth that can serve as an infallible guide to
human conduct . . . Aleister Crowley will at least be remembered as
the greatest occult genius of the twentieth century . . . His influence
on modern occultism is incalculable, penetrating every Western
school. (31)

Any cult that follows the teachings of Crowley must be taken very
seriously. The following quotes are from The Book of Law that the O .T.O.
endorsed as a perfect transmission of the divine and a luminous vehicle of
Truth that can serve as an infallible guide to human conduct.

"11. Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords &
with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let
blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them,
o warrior, I will give y Petrovnaou of their flesh to eat 12. Sacrifice
cattle, little and big: after a child ... 24. The best blood is of the
moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from
the host of heaven: then of enemies; t hen of priest or of the
worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what. ... 51. With my

Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the
cross.... 60. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt. (32 )

The following quotes from Crowley's Magick in Theory and Practice will
further prove our concern.

"For the highest spiritual working one must accordingly choose
that victim which contains the greatest and purest force. A male
child of perfect innocence and high intelligence (f.2) is the most
satisfactory and suitable victim. . . .' But the bloody sacrifice,
though more dangerous, is more efficacious; and for nearly all

purposes human sacrifice is the best, (f.2 In the Sacrifice during

Invocation, however, it may be said without fear of contradiction
that the death of the victim should coincide with the supreme
invocation.) (33)

Rosicrucian Society

As we continue our study of Freemasonry and the occult, we need to look
at another secret order that has networked with Freemasonry for many
years, the Rosicrucian Society. Much could be written about the various
Rosicrucian orders and their relationship to the lodge, but for the purpose
of our study we will be mentioning only one; the Rosicruciana in Anglia.
One had to be at least a Master Mason to belong to this organization and it
is of particular interest because the members of this secret order gave birth
to yet another secret society, THE GOLDEN DAWN.

In some respects Westcott's Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a
by-product of his connection with a Masonic 'Rosicrucian' fraternity called
the Rosicrucian Society of England, also known as the Societas
Rosicruciana in Anglia, or more familiarly as the Soc. Ros. Membership
was confined to Master Masons. It was not a Masonic Lodge but an
esoteric society of Freemasons who were interested in occultism, the
Kabbalah in particular, and Masonic symbolism. (34)

All three of the original founders of the Golden Dawn were Freemasons:
Dr. William Wynn Westcott, Dr. William Woodman, and S.L. MacGregor
Mathers. As we shall see, the ties between the Golden Dawn and the
Masonic lodge go much deeper than the fact that all were Freemasons. Dr.
William Wynn Westcott's interests were occultism and Freemasonry. In
order to practice ritual magic he established an occult secret society called
the Golden Dawn in London in 1888. Since its founding it has been one of
the most secretive and influential of all occult orders.

Madam Blavatsky was so excited about the existence of the Golden Dawn
that she made an intriguing announcement calling the order 'The
Hermetic Students of the G.D. in the Outer' in the June 1889 issue of her
Theosophical periodical, Lucifer. (35)

World renown witches, Janet and Stewart Farrar, authors of A WITCHES
Bible COMPLEAT, give credit to the Freemasons of the Golden Dawn for
the modern cult explosion that we are experiencing today. They state:

"It is generally agreed that the biggest single influence in the
modern expansion of ritual magic, and the occult explosion in
genera 1, in the Western world, was the Golden Dawn. This magical
fraternity, founded by Freemasons at the end of the 19th century,
developed a complex ritual system with ten degrees of initiation
relating to the Cabalistic Sephiroth. (36)

As our study progresses, we will see that these witches were extremely
correct with those statements. Dr. William Robert Woodman, an eminent
Freemason, was also one of the original founders that worked very hard
to establish the Golden Dawn. He was a member of the Ros. Anglia, a
Hebrew scholar and student of the Kabalah, and also wrote many occult
manuscripts.

Dr. William Wynn Westcott

William Wynn Westcott was a London coroner who was forced to choose
between his job and the Golden Dawn when the public became aware of
his occult activities. Westcott chose to resign as head of the Golden Dawn
(at least visibly.) Westcott translated the SEPHER YETZIRAH, a Cabalistic
text, and also wrote a book titled. The MAGICAL MASON.. This Golden
Dawn founder belonged to a truly impressive list of occult organizations
that gives us an idea of how these occult organizations network.

Wm. Wynn Westcott, an English Mason, appointed Junior Grand Deacon
to the Grand Lodge of England in 1902 and the head of the Societas
Rosicruciana in Anglia and Golden Dawn, was also the Secretary of the

Rite of Swedenborg, Knight Kadosch in Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rites, Grand Standard Bearer, Royal Arch, Grand Lodge of England, and
Regent of the Illuminati and on intimate terms with one of its founders,
the German Theodore Reuss 33rd, 90th, 96th, degrees. (37)

Westcott also worked closely with Theodor Reuss, the head of the O.T.O..
Since their early existence, the O.T.O. and the Golden Dawn have
maintained close ties. The father of modern Satanism, Aleister Crowley,
was a member of both organizations.

S.L. MacGregor Mathers

The last of the original founders of the Golden Dawn that we will be
discussing is S.L. MacGregor Mathers, who was heralded at the turn of the
last century as the most powerful and gifted occult practitioner in the
world. Mathers was initiated into Freemasonry on Oct. 4, 1877 and
became a Master Mason on January 30, 1878.

Mathers took Aleister Crowley and taught him what he needed to know
to go on to become the father of modern Satanism. All did not remain
peaceful between Mathers and Crowley and as the rivalry increased they
actually engaged in a war of Black Magic. Mathers would receive
instructions from 'Secret Chiefs' whom Mathers claimed were human
beings with superhuman powers.

Mathers wrote what was called Mathers Manifesto , a pledge of blind
obedience to these 'Secret Chiefs'. The Manifesto stated:

"It was requisite that such a member should be one who, while
having the necessary and peculiar educational basis of critical and
profound occult archaeological knowledge, should at the same time
be not only ready but willing to devote himself in every sense to a
blind and unreasoning obedience to those Secret Chiefs;. .(38)

"he must further pledge himself to obey in everything the
commands of the aforesaid Secret Chief's 'perinde ac cadaver', body
and soul, without question and without argument whether their
commands related to magical action in the external world, or to
psychic world, military action in the external world, or to psychic
action in other worlds and planes, whether Angelic, spiritual or
demonic . . .(39)

Mathers still influences the occult world today through his writings.
Mathers wrote one of the classic books on the Kabbalah called, KABBALAH
UNVEILED. Mathers also translated two of the most influential books of
magical spells. The Key of Solomon The King, and The Book of the
Sacred Magic of Abramelin, The Maji.

While Crowley was working the rituals of the Book of Abramelin he
became possessed with his lifelong spirit guide (demon), Aiwass. The
demon Aiwass dictated the truly Satanic book. The Book OF LAW, to
Crowley. We have previously studied some parts of that book in the
information on the O.T.O.

Arthur Edward Waite

Another man who was initiated into the Golden Dawn at Mathers' home
was Arthur Edward Waite. Waite proceeded to become a major force, not
only in the occult world, but also in Freemasonry. Waite was praised by
one of the greatest Masonic authorities of all time in one of the most
popular Masonic books ever written. The BUILDERS, by Joseph Fort
Newton. The following is an excerpt of the tribute to A.E. Waite in The
Builders:

"Perhaps the greatest student in this field of esoteric teaching and
method, certainly the greatest now living, is Arthur Edward Waite,
to whom it is a pleasure to pay tribute. (40)

Waite was more than a Freemason; he was an authority on Freemasonry
and was the author of A NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY. Waite is
also the author of such occult titles as. The BOOK OF BLACK MAGIC, and
Devil Worship in France. The Book of Black Magic by Waite contains
terrible conjurations given in the name of Satan and has spells to conjure
Fucifer.

Another of Waite's book is called. The Holy KABBALAH, which states in
its introduction, "For the Kabbalist the ultimate sacrament is the sexual
act, carefully organized and sustained as the most perfect mystical trance.
(41)

Perhaps you are beginning to realize the connections between the Golden
Dawn and Freemasonry are many. The Golden Dawn was not only
founded by Freemasons, but we can also document that in the early stages
of the Golden Dawn it had a helping hand from the lodge. The fact can be
established that the original Golden Dawn was allowed to use the Mark
Masons' Flail to conduct rituals. They were given assistance by Masonic
officials, but the lodge was careful that this knowledge didn't become
public.

From the beginning, the ceremonies of Isis-Urania were conducted at
Mark Masons' Flail in the Great Queen Street (now demolished), but
members were careful not to embarrass the Masonic authorities, being
told that they 'must not enter Mark Masons; Flail by the front door, but go
under archway and down passage, entering by a door on the right'. (42)

One of the early members of the Golden Dawn, Maud Gonne MacBride,
left the organization after finding out about the Masonic Connections of
the order.

"Usually the G.D. held their ceremonies in the drawing-room of
some member of the Order, but on one occasion I was summoned
to an initiation ceremony of the Order in the Mark Masons' Hall in
Euston Road, it set me thinking. If they met in a Free-Mason Hall,
perhaps the G.D. was an esoteric side of Masonry. (43)

The Rituals of the Golden Dawn involved ritual magic and to be precise,
they summoned and conversed with Demons! Nothing could be made

any clearer than from reading an official account of their rituals by Israel
Regardie.

"Yet, if there may arise an absolute necessity for working or
conversing with a Spirit of evil nature, and that to retain him before
thee without tormenting him, thou hast to employ the symbol of
the Pentagram reversed . . .(44)

It is indeed hard to disagree with the conclusion of our witch experts,

Janet and Stewart Farrar, when they stated that the biggest influence in
the modern occult explosion has been the Freemasons of the Golden
Dawn. The foundational works for Ritual Magic and Satanism are found
in the writings of the men involved in the Golden Dawn. Anton Szandor
LaVey, high priest of the Church of Satan gives credit to the Golden Dawn
as the source of his Satanic invocations found in the Satanic Bible. LaVey
tells about his translations:

"I have presented my translation of the following calls with an
archaic but Satanically correct unvarnishing of the translation
employed by the Order of the Golden Dawn in the late Nineteenth
Century.. ..the Enochian Calls are the Satanic paeans of faith. (45)

What about the Farrars' own special field of expertise witchcraft? By now
you can probably guess the answer. They definitely give credit to
Freemasonry as one of the sources for the rituals of witchcraft. Doreen
Valiente, in particular contributed much to the final version of Gardner's
BOOK OF Shadows, the unpublished body of rituals and Craft lore

traditionally copied out by hand by every new Witch from his or her
initiator's version.

There is no doubt that the New Forest coven's inherited rituals were
fragmentary, and Gardner had set about making them into a workable
whole by filling the gaps with material he regarded as suitable from other
sources, such as Freemasonry, the writings of Aleister Crowley, and the
odd Kipling poem. (46)

Witchcraft and Freemasonry

Many researchers of the occult have pointed out the similarities between
the initiation ritual in Witchcraft and the Masonic initiation ritual. There
are many other similarities between the two crafts that could be
documented and compared. One reason for these similarities is the fact
that both evolved from an obvious common source, the Ancient Mystery
Religions. Another reason is the fact that some of the most powerful and
influential witches of Modern times have been Freemasons.

Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders

According to the writings of a Shamani witch, Gwyn Gwynallen, even the
very name Wicca, the name often given to modern Witchcraft, originated
from the writings of the two Freemasonic witches Gerald Gardner and
Alex Sanders.

GWYN GWYN ALLEN: Wicca, the name often given to modern
Witchcraft, grew out of Great Britain from the writings of two people,
Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders.

Gardner was a Freemason and also a Lodge Master of the O.T.O. He
enlisted help from his fellow O.T.O. member Aleister Crowley in the
writing of his rituals. Gardner was known as a sado-masochist and the
Gardenian school of Witchcraft is named after him. When Gardner
revealed his involvement with witch cults in his 1954 publication.
Witchcraft Today, he received a torrent of letters and within a few years
covens were in operation all over England.

Alex Sanders was a Freemason and a black magickian and is also known
as the founder of the Alexandrian school of Witchcraft that is noted for its
use of sexual intercourse in the initiation rituals. These two branches of
Witchcraft or paganism, [Gardenian and Alexandrian], to our minds, are
Wiccan.(47)

Alex Sanders said he was initiated as a witch when he was seven years old
by his grandmother who was a witch . . . she had him stand
nude in a circle with his head down. She took a sharp razor, cut his
scrotum to make it bleed slightly, and declared him a witch ... a third
degree, and ... a black magickian. (48)

Eliphas Levi

Any survey of the history of the relationship between Freemasonry and
other occult orders would be incomplete without making mention of the
master Freemason, occultist Eliphas Levi. Professor Carl Raschke of the
University of Denver does an excellent job of expressing the importance of
Eliphas Levi to the occult explosion.

Nearly a century before Crowley, around the middle of the nineteenth
century, there rose to fame in France a renegade Catholic rector called
Alphonse Constant, who changed his name to Eliphas Levi. Levi was
considered the Michelangelo of the suppressed traditions of black magic
in the Christian West. (49)

The French occultist Alphonse-Louis Constant (a.k.a. Eliphas Levi), who
influenced twentieth-century Satanism considerably, bought almost
completely into the thesis that Templars were diabolists. And his
engraving of the Templar idol Baphomet has become a classic article of
iconography for today's black magicians, a sort of Satanist Mona Lisa. (50)

Levi's engraving of the Baphomet that was called the 'Satanist Mona Lisa'
by professor Raschke.

ILLUSTRATION #! GOES HERE

Illustration of Baphomet.(51)

Eliphas Levi, translated by A.E. Waite,
Transcendental MAGIC, Samuel Weiser, Inc.,

p. 186 .

T he Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey explains how important this picture is
to Satanists.

The symbol of Baphomet was used by the Knights Templar to
represent Satan. Through the ages this symbol has been called by
many different names. Among these are: The Goat of Mendes, The
Goat of a Thousand Young. The Black goat. The Judas Goat, and
perhaps most appropriately. The Scapegoat . Baphomet represents
the Powers of Darkness combined with the generative fertility of
the goat... The symbol of Baphomet is placed on the wall above the
altar. (52)

The occult researcher, Michael Howard, comments on the symbolism of
Levi's pantheistic idol, Baphomet, in his book. The OCCULT CONSPIRACY.

"In Levi's illustration, Baphomet is a goat-headed figure with
androgynous features who sits on a cube. A torch blazes between
the goat's horns which represents cosmic intelligence and spiritual
illumination. In occult tradition, Lucifer, who is regarded by the
Church as the devil is called the light-bringer because he grants his
disciples spiritual illumination through incarnation on the physical
plane. (53)

Albert Pike and Eliphas Levi

Eliphas Levi became a Freemason on March 14, 1861, and authored many
books that have become classics in occult literature. Many more things
than we have already shared could be said about Eliphas Levi, but the
information we are dwelling on here is the Luciferian doctrine that Levi
passed on to another Freemason of great repute, Albert Pike.

Pike was the Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite from 1859-1891 and is
called by many the most powerful and influential American Mason of all
time. His book, MORALS AND DOGMA, which was published by the
Supreme Council is still a Masonic classic of great impact. Levi thought of
Lucifer not as a person, but as a force; the pantheistic god of the New Age
movement, the great magical agent that could be used for good or evil. He
explains:

"They have said that the Great Magical Agent - accurately termed
Lucifer because it is the vehicle of light and the receptacle of all
forms is a mediating force diffused throughout creation; ( 54 )

In the Luciferian doctrine of Eliphas Levi, Satan and Lucifer were not evil
in the craft sense, they were just another side of Levi's pantheistic god.

"Thus Satan is not the ruler of the realm of shadow, he is the agent
of light behind a veil. He is of service to God, he performs God 's
work: God has not rejected him, for he holds him still in his hand. .

. . What is the Devil, then, in the final analysis? The Devil is God
working evil. (55 )

This is the God of Star Wars, not a personal God, but just a force that can
be used for good like Luke Skywalker, or can also be used for evil, like
Darth Vader. Albert Pike teaches the same Luciferian doctrine in what is
probably the most widely used and honored Masonic book of all time.
Morals and Dogma.

"The true name of Satan, the Kabalists say, is that of Yahveh
reversed; for Satan is not a black god, but the negation of God. The
Devil is the personification of Atheism or Idolatry. For the Initiates,
this is not a Person, but a Force, created for good, but which may
serve for evil. It is the instrument of Liberty or Free Will. They
represent this Force, which presides over the physical generation,
under the mythologic and horned form of the God Pan; thence
came the he-goat of the Sabbat, brother of the Ancient Serpent, and
the Light-bearer or Phosphor, of which the poets have made the
false Lucifer of the legend. (56)

Most Freemasons don't know the passage above is a direct quote from
page 161 of The FIistory OF MAGIC, by the master occultist Eliphas Levi.
Albert Pike speaks once again about Lucifer the light-bearer in MORALS
and Dogma.

"Lucifer, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to
the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who

bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble,
sensual, or selfish Souls? Doubt it not! ( 57 )

Once again, few Freemasons realize that Albert Pike is quoting directly
from page 36 of The History of Magic by Eliphas Levi. The fact that Albert
Pike takes his Luciferian doctrine directly from the occultist Freemason
Eliphas Levi can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Another one of Eliphas Levi's occult drawings is called 'the great symbol
of Solomon.' This drawing from Eliphas Levi's book, TRANSCENDENTAL
MAGIC, also portrayed the false idea that God has an evil side to him as
well as a good side. It was explained as :

"The great Symbol of Solomon. The Double Triangle of Solomon,
represented by the two Ancients of the Kabalah; the
Macroprosopus and t he Microprosopus; the God of Light and the
God of Reflections; of mercy and vengeance; the white Jehovah and
the black Jehovah. ( 58 )

ILLUSTRATION #2 GOES HERE

Illustration of Great Symbol, of Solomon.

Eliphas Levi, translated by A.E. Waite,

Transcendental MAGIC, Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1896, p.xii. ( 59 )

The same drawing also appears in a recent book called, A BRIDGE TO
LIGHT, published by the Supreme Council, 33rd degree Ancient and

Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction. Across from
the drawing in that book is an explanation of who the snake represents
that is surrounding the symbol. Speaking of the snake's true identity:

"It is the body of the Holy Spirit, the universal Agent, the Serpent
devouring his own tail. ( 60 )

What a blasphemy! What arrogance! Jesus said:

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost s hall not be
forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy
Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the
world to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 KJV )

We have read the explanation from A BRIDGE TO LIGHT concerning the
snake around Levi's drawing of the white Jehovah and the black Jehovah,
and the fact that the book claims the snake represents the Holy Spirit. We
have told how the book is published by the Supreme
Council. How can any man that is a Christian support the distribution of
such blasphemy? Such an idea is unthinkable!

Summary

Freemasonry is truly an organization that deceives good men. Many
honorable men who are in the lodge actually believe that they belong to a

Christian fraternal organization and nothing could be farther from the
truth. As we have shown. All Freemasons are in the occult and down
through the years, time after time. Masons have come together to organize
other occult groups. There is most assuredly more to Freemasonry than
most Freemasons realize. Thirty-third degree. Manly P. Hall, Masonry's
greatest philosopher, gives us a true picture of Freemasonry:

"Freemasonry is a fraternity within a fraternity, an outer organization
concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect. . . . The visible society is a
splendid camaraderie of free and accepted men enjoined to devote
themselves to ethical, educational, fraternal, patriotic, and humanitarian
concerns. The invisible society is a secret and most august fraternity
whose members are dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcanum
arcanorum. ... In each generation only a few are accepted into the inner
sanctuary of the work, but these are veritable princes of truth, and their
sainted names shall be remembered in future age together with the seers
and prophets of the elder world. . . . They are dwellers upon the threshold
of the innermost, masters of that secret doctrine which forms the invisible
foundation of every great theological and rational institution. ( 61 )

We have presented in a few brief pages a general review of the
relationship between Freemasonry and the dark side of the occult world.
We have documented the connections between Freemasons and the
Illuminati, the New Age movement, the Theosophical Society, Satanism,
the O.T.O., the Rosicrucian Society, the Golden Dawn, Witchcraft, the
Egyptian Mystery Religions, many history making key people, and many
famous Freemasons who were involved with these groups. Much more

could have been said on this subject, but we believe what has been
presented is sufficient enough to show the fact that Freemasons have
played the leading roles in the 20th Century occult explosion.

This is a side of the Lodge that Masons don't like to talk about. However,
it is a side that exists nonetheless. The Scripture admonishes us not to be
unequally yoked with unbelievers; and when a man can bow the knee at
the Masonic altar and make the Freemasons that we have discussed in this
chapter their lodge brothers, they have taken upon themselves the most
unequal yoke that could ever be imagined.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what path he that believeth
with an infidel? And What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and zvalk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And zvill be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty. (II Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV)

Endnotes

1. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1976 G.& C.
Merriam Co., p. 1560.

2. George H. Steinmetz, The Royal Arch Its Hidden Meaning, Macoy
Publishing and Masonic Supply Co., Inc. 1946, p. 147.

3. Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Rituals, Avon Books 1972, p. 78.

4. John Robinson, A.M., Proofs of a Conspiracy, The Americanist
Classics, Western Islands, 1798, p. 60.

5. Lynn F. Perkins, New Age Youth and Masonry, CSA Press,
Publisher 1972, p. Dedication page.

6. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, The Theosophical
Publishing House 1893, p. 446.

7. Ibid., 220

8. Joseph J. Carr, The Twisted Cross, Huntington House Inc. 1985, p.
282.

9. Manly P. Hall, The Phoenix, An Illustrated Review of Occultism
and Philosophy, 1960 The Philosophical Research Society, p. 122.

10. Lady Queenborough, Occult Theocracy, The Christian Book Club
of america 1933, p. 533.

11. Jerry Johnston, The Edge of Evil, Word Publishing, 1989, p. 136. (in
interview with Joseph Carr, author of The Twisted Cross).

12. C. W. Leadbeater 33rd degree. The Elidden Life in Freemasonry,
The Theosophical Publishing Elouse, Adyar, Madras India 1928, p. 336.

13. Ibid., p. 326.

14. Ibid., p. 334.

15. Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Elierarchy, Lucis
Publishing Company, New York 1957, p. 511.

16. Foster Bailey, Things To Come, Lucis Publishing Company, New
York 1974, p. 108.

17. Ibid., p. 110.

18. Ibid., p. 122.

19. Ibid., p. 116.

20. Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Masonry, Lucis Press Ltd., London 1957,
p. 109.

21. Aleister Crowley, Ancient Wisdom and Secret Sects, Time-Life
Books 1989, p. 118.

22. Aleister Crowley, Satanic Extracts, Black Lodge Publishing 1991, 4
Pledge, 5.

23. Kenneth Grant, Aleister Crowley & The Hidden God, Samuel
Weiser): 174. (A footnote in this section says that the man the reference to
is Theodor Reuss.)

24. Francis King, The Rites of Modern Occult Magic, The MacMillan
Company 1970): 119.

25. Frater U. .D. ., Secrets of the German Sex Magicians, Llewellyn
Publications 1991): 138.

26. Edited by Hymenaeus Beta X degree. The Equinox, Samuel Weiser
1990, Volume 3, No. 10, 205.

27. Frances King, The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O., Samuel Weiser
1973): 13.

28. John Symonds and Kenneth Grant, The Confessions of Aleister
Crowley, Bantam Books): 684.

29. Ibid., 771.

30. Albert G. Mackey, Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry,
The Masonic History Company, 1946): 130.

31. Edited by Hymenaeus Beta X degree, [Aleister Crowley TheMaster
Therion], The Equinox, Samuel Weiser 1990, Volume 3, No. 10, p. 87.

32. Ibid., p. 39.40,42,43.

33. Aleister Crowley, Magick In Theory and Practice, Magickal childe
Publishing, Inc. 1990, p. 95-96.

34. Elbe Howe, The Magicians of The Golden Dawn, Samuel Weiser,
Inc. 1972, p. 8.

35. Ibid., p. 47.

36. Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Life and Times of A Modern Witch,
Phoenix Publishing Company, p. 121.

37. Lady Queenborough (Edith Starr Miller), Occult Theocracy, The
Christian Book Club of America 1933, p. 298.

38. Israel Regardie, What You Should Know About The Golden Dawn,
1987 Falcon Press, p. 181.

39. Ibid., p. 182.

40. Joseph Fort Newton, The Builders, Macoy Publishing and Masonic
Supply Company, 1979, p. 57.

41. A.E. Waite, The Holy Kabbalah, University Books, Citadel Press
introduction by Kenneth Rexroth, p. ix.

42. R. A. Gilbert, The Golden Dawn Companion, The Aquarian Press,
p. 31.

43. Elbe Howe, The Magicians of The Golden Dawn, Samuel Weiser,
Inc. 1972, p.70.

44. Israel Regardie, The Golden Dawn, 1990 Llewellyn Publications, p.
280.

45. Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, Avon Books 1969, p. 155-
156.

46. Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Life and Times of A Modern Witch,
Phoenix Publishing Company, p. 23.

47. Larry Kahaner, Cults That Kill, Probing the Underworld of Occult
Crime, Warner Books 1988, p. 98.

48. Ibid., p. 99.

49. Carl A. Raschke, Painted Black, Harper and Row 1990, p.37.

50. Ibid., p. 91.

51. Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, Avon Books 1969, p. 139

52. Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, Avon Books 1969, p. 136

53. Michael Howard, The Occult Conspiracy, Secret Societies: Their
Influence and Power in World History, Destiny Books 1989, p. 38.

54. Eliphas Levi, The History of Magic, Samuel Weiser 1913, p. 159.

55. Eliphas Levi, The Book of Splendours, The Inner Mysteries of
Qabalismlts relation ship to Freemasonry, Numerology & Tarot, Samuel
Weiser, Inc. 1973, p. 72.

56. Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, 1871 L. H. Jenkins Inc., p. 102.

57. Ibid., p. 321.

58. Eliphas Levi, translated by A.E. Waite, Transcendental MAGIC,
Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1896, p. 161.

59. Illustration of Great Symbol, of Solomon. Eliphas Levi, translated
by A.E. Waite, Transcendental MAGIC, Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1896, p. xii.

60. Rex R. Hutchens, A Bridge To Light, The Supreme Council,
33degree Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern
Juris diction United States of America 1988, p.253.

61. Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, Philosophical
Research Society, Inc. 1984, p. 433

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The ways things ought to be

Bob Jones

2725 Mineral Springs
Knoxville, TN 37917

We have waded through a lot of stuff. A lot of it has been pretty dark and the
picture is bleak, but I want to share some of the bright side of things.

There are two families that co-exist in this world. There is a disinherited family.
Its father is Lucifer. He is the one, who works through pride or vainglory because
he's the imitator in all things. God has glory. Satan has vainglory. Vainglory is
glory that isn't going anywhere. The glory of God is real. And that family that is
seeking the glory of God, the full inheritance of the Lord.

Men and women involved in the mysteries and darkness of the lodge are buried
in Vainglory. The pompous titles they wear upon their breasts, the orders of
ritual they embrace bring even the stoutest Christians among them out from
among the inheritance of the believe into the pit of the vain glorious. They have
fully and completely given up their birthrights for a sad and empty counterfeit.
Woe unto them on that day of judgment. Their inheritance will be that of the
disinherited and of its father, Lucifer.

I worked for fifteen years as a development director in a Bible college. And I
know something about inheritance, I know something about the process itself
and I'm here to tell you that it is the very process the Bible uses or shows us. I
wish we would all receive our full share of that ever-lasting glory. It is a process
that has been corrupted because there are those who would lead us from that
glory that God has offered into that vainglory of Satan.

Pride goes before a fall. Vainglory will never do the job and there are those of us
who live for the things that we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. It is such a
waste, because this is not the reality. The reality is in the things of the spirit of
God.

I want to share this with you; that statement, that question, first of all by those
who came to Jesus and said, "what shall I do or what must I do to inherit the
kingdom?" It's a good question.

Mark 10:17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his
knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal
life?"

Luke 10:25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
"Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit
eternal life?"

It's asked in a good way. And Jesus gave them the same answer, but it is by
process of inheritance that we are to receive. I think we need to go back to the
beginning and I'm going to just very quickly go over this.

In the beginning there was the creator, one creator, God made all things. But
there is something else revealed by John in the first chapter of his Gospel. With
the creator was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word.
That word was in the beginning with God. He was with the Father in the
beginning; He will be with the Father at the consummation of all things. And He
was with the Father when he went to Calvary.

I want to talk about this inheritance process for just a minute. First of all it begins
with property. I want to say that the execution of a will is the greatest act of grace
that anyone can commit. In the execution of a will you are a committing an act of
grace because it is a gift; it is something that person cannot purchase from you;
that person cannot earn from you; something that person does not deserve. You
have chosen them because of who they are. They are a friend or they are a
relative. And because of that you have promised them, in a document called a
testament. Incidentally it makes you a testator when you write a testament. And
that testament is nothing more than a promise on a piece of paper until it goes
into affect.

If I were to write one word about the Old Testament that I think is the theme of
the Old Testament is the word promise. If I were to write a word over the New
Testament it would be the word probate and then finally distribution.

Let's begin back at the beginning again. God, who was the creator spoke with the
voice of authority. He spoke with truth because He is truth and the Word of God
is truth and so He spoke with an exclamation point. When God speaks you listen.
And He had a relationship with Adam that was a unique relationship.

But Satan, Lucifer, came along and took that exclamation point and began to
twist it subtly until he formed a question mark and created in the mind of Adam
doubt. Did God say? you will surely not die. With all the subtly of the serpent he
spoke a simple statement with a period at the end. He makes no commands, he
makes no demands, he simply states lies. God spoke the truth, Satan came along
with the lie. Paul says in that passage in Romans that they exchanged the truth
of God for the lie. Not a lie but the lie. The lie that the creature can be
worshipped the same as the Creator. And they began to worship the creature
rather than the Creator. That's the lie and the deception of Satan in all this.

And so God made a promise. The next word is the promise. The promise is that
God was going to restore everything that Adam lost when he bought the lie. God
had crowned him with glory and had given him honor and had given him
dominion over the earth and he relinquished all of this. It was turned over to the
one who became known as the prince of the world. And now man was lost.

When you write a will you always put people in that will; those people who are
going to be the recipients of your grace. And God made a will which can be
found in several places. But in Genesis chapter 12 there is a dynamic that takes
place in that occasion when Abrahm was put to sleep after having divided the
carcasses of the animals and created the setting for covenant. And God walked
between these parts of the carcass while Abrahm was asleep.

Now the dynamic is this, that God and the Word passed through those carcasses.
This same word that John was later to say became flesh and dwelt among us.
There were two parties that were present at that occasion with whom God spoke
by immutable oath, based on His own name that He would fulfill this promise
that "through thee and thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. "

Two people went into the testament or the will of God. A friend, Abraham, and a
relative, Jesus Christ. Two people. These people were the heirs of salvation. The
heirs of the will. Now this Jesus was unique. Because He is the one to fulfill all
this. You see God had made a will but a will is only a promise on a piece of paper
until the death of the testator. And in the fullness of time this Word made flesh
who dwelt among us who spoke truth came to Calvary and He died on the cross
as the testator of the will of God.

Do you understand the significance of that? Because at that point the promise
went into probate. Up until that time it was just a promise. Hebrews 11 says, by
faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice while Cain did not. By faith
Abraham left the Ur of the Chaldees to follow God, by faith, on and on through
that great list. But He says in the thirteenth verse, these all died in vain never
having received the promise. It was impossible for them to do it without those of
us who are heirs in the new covenant.

The beautiful thing about this is that the two heirs cannot receive until both of
them are heirs. And Jesus, who was the testator of the will of God, died and was
buried. That's the normal course. But on the third day He arose from the dead.

He was raised by his Father. I want you to know that the cross is total
submission to the will of God.

Jesus was put to death by His foes. He was buried by His friend and He was
raised by His Father. This was not His work at all, it was submission to the will
of the Father. I don't know of anybody else in all my experience of working with
wills, whoever wrote a will, who died to put it into affect and then came back
and showed up at the reading of the will to receive the inheritance. I don't know
of anybody else who has ever done this. That's sort of unique, isn't it. And that's
what Jesus Christ is. He is unique! And this is truth, this same Word of God
made flesh who became the heir; who returned again the Father; who is glorified
is now prepared to come back for the distribution of the estate.

What will we receive? We will receive everything that God is and everything that
God has and God has everything. There is reserved in heaven for you an
inheritance that will not fade - that's glory! It will never fade.

Now you see vain glory is fading glory. People say, well I'm going to live by my
looks; I want you to know that Brook Shields and Tom Seleck are beginning to
wrinkle, sag, and shed just like everybody else. Those people who say, well I will
make it with my wealth - listen - it's all going to be gone. I have a friend, who
was a friend of John D. Rockefeller, and this man was a member of the Gideons.
He said John D. Rockefeller used to boast that when he died he was going to take
his money with him. He said I was in the room when John D. Rockefeller died, it
was two o'clock in the morning and the banks were closed. He couldn't take it.

You see this is vain, this is vanity. Everything that you see in this room is fading.
There is no glory in this, everything that we see is fading and decaying and
passing away. But the righteousness of God is incorruptible and this is the
righteousness that we have now in Christ. The operating words are " in Christ. "
He is my covering. He is my peace. He is my righteousness. He is my joy. He is
my health. He is everything. He is everything in everybody. And Lucifer ain't
nothin'! And I'm nothin' without Him! I can't do anything without Him!

When I stand in the presence of God I do not want to stand there as Robert Jones,
I want to stand there and say take my hands. Lord and want Him to see nail
prints in my hands. I want Him to see nail prints in my feet, the covering of Jesus
Christ over me. I don't want to stand in the presence of God without that
covering. That precious armor that we wear, the righteousness, the truth, the
peace, I want to be there covered by the blood and the life and the love of Jesus.
He is everything, everything! And there is reserved in heaven for you an
inheritance. It will not fade, it will not decay, and it will not pass away, it is
eternal. Lriends we have already eternal life. We are seated with Him.

We are joint heirs with Jesus. I'm gonna have it because of Him. I can't do that
stuff. He did it for me. And I am to be conformed to His image. I've been called,
and justified.

Justified, you know that's a beautiful word. I've been a terrible sinner in my life
and I wouldn't begin a recitation of it for you here. I've been a terrible sinner and
not that far back either, unfortunately. I've gone through some pretty heavy stuff.
But in the last six wonderful years I've come to know Jesus as I have never
known Him before. And I've come to hear and to walk with Him and to love

Him, and to be loved by Him. And to know that I'm loved by Him. And to be
loved by my heavenly Father through Him. And that's beautiful.

You know the most beautiful picture of justification I've ever seen is what
happened in the garden of Gethesemene when the men came to take Jesus
prisoner and Peter had said. Lord they'll take you over my dead body. He drew
his sword when they came after Jesus and he reached out and he sliced off the
ear of that man Malcus who had relatives in high places. Now Peter was picked
to preach the first gospel sermon but he was a criminal. He could have been in
jail on that occasion, not even present. But Jesus did something remarkable. He
stooped down, picked up the ear of Malcus, put it back and made him whole
again. And in that one move He not only healed Malcus He eliminated every
shred of evidence against Simon Peter and crime was blotted out. That’s what it
does for us. He blots out our sins. They never were! Because He has taken them
away - that’s justification. And then I am set apart in Him and His Holy Spirit is
in me.

There is a story that I have been so impressed by that I would like to share it with
you. I think that in the church we have overlooked so many things. In our whole
approach to the idea of demons, I work as a chaplain in a rescue mission, many
of the people who come through the front door are loaded down with demons
and its a very real problem. Some people don't recognize the problem but we
have to deal with that day after day. We do work with that. And without God
and without the Lord Jesus Christ I don't know where we'd be. Well I certainly
wouldn't want to be in that kind of work, that's for sure.

The church today has lost it's sense of the inheritance, it has lost it's sense of what
Jesus has done to put all of this beautiful program, everything that we have into
affect. So that when they pull out that final book, they will began to read the list
of the heirs of salvation from the beginning, those who have been written there.
You see, many of those people who are caught up in this will Freemasonry stuff
never understand. Because their eyes are blinded and they cannot not see, they
will never see.

I want to tell this story because it is so important to me that we not only begin to
look to the future but I want you to know that the steps of a good man are
ordered by the Lord. And we walk so often every day that close to miracles and
we walk on by, we miss them. Merlin Caruthers says that God was calling him to
a ministry of praise and if you know Merlin Caruthers you know that he's
involved in that ministry of praise.

But the story that he tells is that he was a chaplain in the army. And a young man
came to him, a young private, one day and he said, " My wife is going to commit
suicide, I have a problem. What do I do? She said if I go to Viet Nam she will
take her life. She already attempted suicide once when I was drafted and I'm sure
that she will accomplish it now because she almost succeeded then."

And Merlin Caruthers said, "Send your wife in and let me talk to her. So he did.
Now God had been dealing with Merlin and teaching him how to praise and not
grumble and complain all the time. Most of us grumble and complain but if we
begin to, as I Thesselonians 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks for this is the
will of God in Christ concerning you."

n everything! And so Merlin asked God, "What am I going to tell this lady
when she comes?" and God said, "Tell her what I've taught you." She came in, sat
down, and began to tell a sad story. She had been adopted as a young girl before
she was born. She had been separated from her adopted parents and no family.
And when she married Ray he was all she had. She said , "If he goes to Viet Nam
I'll kill myself. "

And Merlin asked the Lord, "What will I tell this woman?" And the Lord said,
"Sit back, fold your hands, open your mouth and I'll tell her." He sat down,
folded his hands, opened his mouth, and the Lord said, "Sue, there is just one
thing I want to ask you to do, kneel down and lets thank God that Ray is going to
Viet Nam. "

She was angry and in the natural that would seem to be the only reaction. That
was a stupid thing to say. And he could tell that she wasn't about to do that, he
said well lets pray anyway. So they prayed and he said his prayer went
absolutely no place.

He got through with that and she said, "Chaplain, I don't understand a thing
your talking about ,"and out she went. He got a phone call from her husband a
little bit later and he said, "Chaplain, what did you tell my wife?"

He said , "Well I told her that everything works together for good to those who
love the Lord, and so on."

He replied, " well what ever you told her she's twice as bad as she was when she
came in." And so he said, "why don't you just come back and let me just talk to
you."

So later, Ray came back to the office, but meanwhile Merlin was praying, "Lord,
what am I going to tell this man? I've got to tell him something. What will I tell
him? He needs an answer." The Lord said, "Sit back, fold your hands, I 'll tell
him."

He sat back, folded his hands, and spoke the young private across from him and
he said, "Ray, there's just one thing I want to ask you to do. Let's kneel down and
pray and thank God that Sue is exactly like she is." Well, he looked a little
strange but he did pray for him and nothing happened. I mean he said, this is
terrible.

The young man said, "Now chaplain, I don't want to be disrespectful but now I
understand why Sue doesn't understand a word your talking about. I don't
understand either." And so, he went out.

As the young man went out Caruthers said," Ray, why don't you come back with
Sue, let me talk to the two of you." He said, 'All right, we'll do that but we have
to have an answer. Chaplain. We've got to stop fooling around, we've got to have
an answer."

The chaplain got down and he said. Now Lord, we've got to stop fooling around.
I mean we've got to tell this man something. He's got to know something. " And
then He said, "But anyway, thank you for them just exactly as they are. "

The Lord said, "Finally! Finally, Merlin, that's what I've been trying to get across
to you all along. You can't help them." That's right Lord I can't help them. But
the Lord said, " I can. Now when they come in this time, sit down, fold your
hands, open your mouth, and I'll tell them." And Merlin said, "Oh praise the
Lord, that's what I wanted Lord."

They came in and sat down across from him and he said, "Now Ray and Sue,
there is just one thing that I ask you to do. Kneel down with me and let's thank
God for things exactly the way they are."

Well, Ray looked at Sue and he said "Sue I don't understand what the chaplain is
talking about, and I know you don't understand what the chaplain is talking
about but he seems to think that he knows what he's talking about. So let's just
kneel down and thank God for this." And so they knelt down and prayed.

"Thank you Father, thank you Father," said Ray," that I'm going to Viet Nam."

Sue prayed, "Thank you Lord, that Ray is going to Viet Nam and I might try to
kill myself."

Then they got up and they walked out. They walked out into the little chapel
outside the office door and Merlin knelt down to pray, to thank the Lord at that
point. But when they got outside the door, Ray turned to Sue and he said, "Sue,
did we really do that? "

"Well, yes, I guess we did."

"Did we mean it?"

" Well I guess we did.”

He said, "Well let's just give it another try," and they went over and knelt down
at the altar and they prayed again.

And this time he said, "Father I thank you that I'm going to Viet Nam."

She said, "Father I thank you that Ray is going to Viet Nam and things are just
the way they are."

Well, Ray had to go back to his company so he left. Sue sat down and very
shortly the door burst open and another private, another young man, came in
that door. He said, "I got to talk to the chaplain."

She said, "Well, he's inside his office and the door is closed. But he'll probably
be out in just a little bit."

And he said, "You don't understand. I've got a problem. I've got to talk to the
chaplain."

And so he came over and he began to explain to her, he took about ten or fifteen
minutes telling his problem. She said, "Well, there is one thing I can tell you. If
you go in there to talk to that man he isn't going to help you one bit."

But, he said, "You don't understand this, and he pulled out his billfold, and said
look this is a picture of my wife, and this is a picture of my children", and then he
turned over the next picture and Sue said, "Oh my God, who is that woman?"

"That's my mother. Why?"

She said, "That's my mother!"

"It can’t be! "

She said, "Yes it is! That's my mother. When I was a girl I was adopted and they
didn't tell me. But one day I was going through a door and I found the adoption
papers and there stapled to the corner was that same picture. I know that picture,
that's my mother."

He answered, "I can't believe this is so, but let's go make a phone call." They
went and made the phone call and she came in and knocked on Merlin
Caruther's door a few minutes later. She had her arm around another private.

She said, "Chaplain, you are not going to believe this, I found my brother! And I
know who my mother is!"

And Merlin said, "Praise the Lord!"

'Do you think its because I said thank you. Lord?"

He smiled at her. "I don't know what you think but I sure know what I think."
And then she left with her brother.

Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and it was Ray and he said,
"Chaplain, your not going to believe this. He said, I hadn't gone but 700 yards,
heading back to my company, and I ran into a friend with whom I graduated
from law school and he said, he was a second lieutenant. He said, " Ray, how are
you doing? What are you going to be doing? I answered, "Praise the Lord, I'm
going to Viet Nam. And the man said, well, Ray, you're a good attorney, why
aren't you working in the law office here with me? "

They went in his office and five minutes later his orders were changed and he
wasn't going to Viet Nam. And he said, "Chaplain, do you think its because I
said, thank you Lord? "

Merlin replied, " I don't know what you think, Ray, but I sure know what I think.

I want to say this, you can say that was all coincidence. Here is a young private
who passed twenty chapels to come to this one chapel, to a chaplain he didn't
know and didn't even get talk to. His sister happened to be sitting there whom
he had never seen. Ray talked to a man that he had not seen since he graduated
from law school and in the process did not have to go to Viet Nam. Chaplain
Caruthers had his problem taken care of, too. He was sweating it and God took
care of it for him.

What I'm trying to say is this, God orders the steps of a righteous man. God has
already taken care of things. Everything was there, he didn't just instantly
perform a miracle, he didn't just instantly put her brother in that camp, he just
didn't instantly put that other man in the camp, they were all there and the
miracle was already set up. All they had to do was trust God and thank God and
praise Him and it happened.

I've told our fellows that down at the mission. In fact, I had one young man come
into me several weeks ago and I had just heard that testimony. So I praised the
Lord for that, you know. And he came in and said, chaplain, I need some help
and he gave me a long sad story and I immediately jumped out to help him. And
I realized after a short time as doors began to slam in my face, I couldn't help this
young man. And so I just knelt down and I said Lord, and I said Lord I thank
you for Bill and his wife just exactly the way they are. He was wanting shelter for
her, he was a street person, she was also a street person, she needed shelter.

That's what he was asking for and he needed money in order to get it. And I
couldn't come up with the money for him and so I figured out what I was going
to tell him now. I had it all lined up, what I was going to tell him, but I was
praying, "Lord I thank you for him and I praise you for their situation exactly
the way it is."

So I went into chapel, we just had a new black chapel speaker who had come in,
first black chapel speaker we've had, and I was just praising the Lord for that.
And you know he took my speech and delivered it, that I was going to tell this
man. The man was sitting right in the middle of the audience and he took my
speech and delivered to him.

I didn't even have to deliver the speech and the young man come up to me
afterwards and he put his arms around me and he said, "I want to apologize to
you. I asked a man to do what only God can do. "Praise the Lord! I said thank
you Lord! Then I went down, I have a group in our home for battered women,
and I went down before my group and who was sitting there but his wife in that
refuse. She was sheltered and she's still there. And I said thank you Lord, you
put it all together and I didn't have to do anything.

Wouldn't it be great if we would start trusting God more and more and not
depending on the arm of the flesh for the things that we are doing. We don't
need a secret fraternity to take the place of God in our lives.

Listen, we have a great God, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the
world. We've been talking today about the one in the world. Let's exalt the on
who is over us, in us, and who is working to do these things to order our steps
before us. God is a miracle working God. God has put together this conference, I
believe it with all my heart. I know some of us has just said God its bigger than
all of us, its yours, take it.

The inheritance begins the day we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. And it will be that
final distribution when all of us will gather about the throne and we'll sing the
praises of God and the Lamb forever. Our God is good and he's great. Now we
need to pray for those who are out there, lost and leaning on a system already
doomed to failure.. The white horse is being prepared, the rider is ready, the
feast has been prepared for his people, all things are set up. Let's pray and just
thank God!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS AND FREEMASONRY
THE STORY GOES ON....AND ON

J. Edward Decker

While our Freemasonry Conference was in session, the talk was all about the
ongoing study and eventual Southern Baptist Convention's denominational vote
on Freemasonry. Called to do a fair study by the Convention a year earlier, the
Home Missions Board appointed Dr. Gary Leazer to head up an unbiased
review. It turned into a can of worms for everyone involved.

As things turned out, the report became somewhat tainted when it was
discovered that Dr. Gary Leazer, the man in charge of the study, was getting
"clandestine" help in its preparation from Masonic Friends.

A letter surfaced during the study, written by Leazer to one of the Masonic
leaders, thanking him for all the help and making several depreciating remarks
concerning those who were opposed to the Lodge. That letter had Leazer
removed from his job as head of the study, but both Leazer and the report
continued on at the HMB without correction. The report went to the floor of the
convention as prepared by Leazer and his Masonic tutors.

Months after the vote was taken, in favor of the Masonic position. Dr. Leazer's
obvious ties to the Lodge created a new stir within the denomination when a

copy of a speech he had made at a Masonic gathering reached the wrong
hands..

In the Columbus Dispatch, dated 11-6-93, Religious News Service writer, David
Anderson reported,

" Larry Lewis, president of the Home Missions Board, said he
requested Leazer's resignation for "Gross insubordination" following
publication in October of a speech Leazer gave to a Masonic group.

Lewis said Leazer's Aug. 8 speech violated an order to "refrain from
any and all involvement in the Freemasonry issue. " Lewis told Baptist
Press, the denomination's official news agency, he had accepted
Leazer's resignation Oct. 22.

"He has clearly violated that directive and in doing so has demonstrated
his unwillingness to submit to the authority of his supervisors," Lewis
said. Whether Baptists can also be members of a Masonic Lodge has been
a volatile issue."

The Convention and the Vote: The afterglow

It's an amazing thing that after the smoke had all settled, the Freemasons
declared a mighty victory at the SBC. In the August/93 Scottish Rite Journal, (pp.
3-6) The Grand Commander, C. Fred Kleinknecht, called the vote historic,
saying, "this [vote was the ] significant turning point for modern Freemasonry."

And well it might be. The Masonic Fraternity believes it has withstood its most
severe challenge in more than a century.

To the shame of the SBC's commitment to Biblical standards, the Convention, by
an overwhelming majority approved the report and recommendation on
Freemasonry issued by the SBC Home Missions Board, which listed a number of
things about Freemasonry that were compatible with Christianity and a number
of things that were not. The report went on to say that membership in a Masonic order
was the business of the individual, not the church.

The Masonic Grand Commander called it a great victory. He stated that by its
vote, the SBC had "... joined Freemasonry in its elevation of individual conscience as
the guide to personal beliefs and actions. "

In a letter addressed to All Active Members, Deputies of the Supreme Council,
Representatives and Secretaries, dated June 21, 1993, Kleinknecht again inferred
that vote was a great victory for the craft. He stated,

" The Board's [Home Missions Board] report, based on a nearly year-long study
by the SBC's Interfaith Witness Department, rejects the allegation that
Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist Doctrine. "

It sure sounded like a victory for the craft so far, but he mentioned
one problem a little further in his letter. He said, "Although the report contains 8
unjustified, we feel, specific criticisms of Freemasonry, it also includes several
commendations of Freemasonry. "

Let's back up just a hair. The Leazer affair proved without doubt that the
Masons, themselves, were involved with the report and aided the man in charge
of writing the report. Even then, they were unable to prevent the mention of
some specific criticisms of Freemasonry,

Next, the Masons made an unprecedented push to get control of the Convention.
The same Grand Commander wrote a letter to all those addressed above, plus
the Editors of all Masonic Publications and said that "It is crucial that Masons who
are Southern Baptists become messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention."

On the back of Kleinknecht's letter was a 12 step plan for every Baptist Mason to
follow in getting to be a Messenger at the SBC. The Masons rallied as never
before in their history. Only the Masons know what percent of the 17,800
Messengers were Masons.

Yet, in spite of the enormous efforts by the Masons, the report still listed a
number of things so wrong with Freemasonry, that if they were reviewed in
context of Biblical Christianity, no Christian could truly be a Mason. This is what
they said:

The Eight Problems With Freemasonry

"1. The prevalent use of offensive concepts, titles, and terms such as
"Worshipful Master" for the leaders of the lodge; references to their
buildings as "mosques," "shrines," or "temples"; and the use of such words
as "Abaddon" and Jah-Bul-On," the so-called secret name of God. To
many, these terms are not only offensive but sacrilegious.

2. The use of archaic, offensive rituals and so-called "bloody oaths" or
"obligations," among those being that promised by the Entered
Apprentice: [listed in original] or that of the Fellow Craft degree: [listed in
original] Or that of the Master Mason: [listed in original] Or that of other
advanced degrees with required rituals considered by many to be pagan
and incompatible with Christian faith and practice.

Even though these oaths, obligations and rituals may or may not be taken
seriously by the initiate, it is inappropriate for a Christian to "sincerely
promise and swear," with a hand on the Eloly Bible, any such promises or
oaths, or to participate in any such pagan rituals.

3. The recommended readings in pursuance of advanced degrees, of
religions and philosophies, which are undeniably pagan and / or occult,
such as much of the writings of Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, Manly Hall,
Rex Hutchins, W.L. Wilmhurst and other such authors; along with their
works, such as Morals and Dogma, A Bridge to Light, An Encyclopedia of
Freemasonry and The Meaning of Masonry.

4. The reference to the Bible placed on the altar of the lodge as the
"furniture of the lodge," comparing it to the square and compass rather
than giving it the supreme place in the lodge.

5. The prevalent use of the term "light" which some may understand as a
reference to salvation rather than knowledge or truth.

6. The implication that salvation may be attained by one's good works,
implicit in the statement found in some

Masonic writings that "Masonry is continually reminded of that purity of life
and conduct which is necessary to obtain admittance into the Celestial Lodge
above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. " (LA Monitor,
page 79)

Even though many Masons understand that the "purity of life and
conduct" can only be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, others may be
led to believe they can earn salvation by living a pure life with good
conduct.

7. The heresy of Universalism (the belief all people will eventually be
saved), which permeates the writings of many Masonic authors, which is
a doctrine inconsistent with New Testament teaching.

8. The refusal of most lodges (although not all) to admit for membership
African Americans.

(As reported by the Home Missions Board, SBC, 1350 Spring Street NW,
Atlanta, GA 30367-5601)

On the positive side, the report commended the Masons for its many charitable
endeavors, hospitals, burn centers. It acknowledged that many outstanding
Christians and Southern Baptists now and in the past have been Masons.

They recognized that many of the tenets and teachings of some Grand Lodges
could be considered compatible and supportive of the Christian faith and
practice, such as a strong emphasis on honesty, integrity, industry and character
and the insistence that every member believe in [a] God. The report then quoted
a number of Biblical quotes from the Texas Monitor to show that there are some
explicit references to the Christian faith.

However, the report cautioned that "To be sure, not all Grand Lodges affirm
Christian Doctrine, and many do not declare Jesus as the unique Son of God; but many
do, and for this we commend them." (Ibid.)

Their final statement concludes with this:

"We exhort Southern Baptists to prayerfully and carefully evaluate
Freemasonry in the light of the Lordship of Christ, the teachings of the
Scripture, and the findings of this report, as led by the Holy Spirit of
God" (Ibid.)

And we say that if a Christian Mason truly did that he would honestly have to leave the
Lodge.

Dr. James Holly is the President of Mission and Ministry to Men, 550 N. 10th
Street, Beaumont, TX 77702. He has been God's man of the hour for the Southern
Baptists. He has taken a strong stand time and again both as an official
Messenger to the Convention, and as an individual member of the denomination.
He has almost single-handedly brought this issue to the place where
Freemasonry is being exposed as the terrible threat it truly is to the church.

Dr. Holly has been cursed, slandered and defamed for his efforts, but continues
to demand that the HMB admit that the report was slanted and that the
Convention vote was skewed in favor of the many Baptist Masons. He has
continued to ask the SBC leaders to re-evaluate their stand. In a recent letter to
the Home Mission Executive Committee, dated 2/9/94, He responded to a HMB
Resolution justifying their SBC report.

"The Executive Committee's affirmation of its own actions is disingenuous. It
was Dr. Lewis himself who said that the HMB was in a "no win Situation" in
regard to the study of Freemasonry. It was Dr. Lewis himself who said that if the
HMB found for the Lodge or if they found against the Lodge the HMB would
lose money. The Executive Committee's praise of its own work rings hollow in
the face of the obvious deficiencies of the HMB' handling of the study of

Freemasonry the HMB's A Study of Freemasonry is not objective, scholarly or

thorough."

Until the Southern Baptists take on this issue from a Biblical position and not a
political one, the denomination will wallow in self destructive cover-up after
cover-up. Pray that the Holy Spirit of God will break through the darkness in
high places and set the SBC free.